Lu Qi had an emoticon saved to his mobile phone.

Two cartoon characters were having a conversation, and a dialogue box appeared above one’s head. He said to the other character: I like your works so much.

Then the other character took the dialogue box and held it in his arms while sleeping.

During the holiday when Lu Qi’s parents discovered he was gay, he was gradually healed by the love of his fans. This emoticon was his state during that time.

Lu Qi also knew that love on the internet was unreliable and could be overthrown in the blink of an eye, but when he was really maliciously attacked by so many strangers, he still inevitably felt depressed.

Like a little mushroom that withered and drooped after being beaten by the wind and rain.

He posted a screenshot of his WeChat retrieval interface on Weibo, as well as the receipt of the case from the police station. Ordinary people would inevitably be at a loss when confronting a behemoth like capital, but Lu Qi still believed in the fairness of law, and at least the hot search had been removed.

It was just that it would take some time to wait for the results, and netizens who were instigated by trolls and didn’t know the truth had already turned his comments area into a mess.

[Whoever calls the police first is innocent, is that it?]

. . .

[Aiyo, the last person who said their account was hacked was that university professor who harassed first-year students. Do perverts like you share the same brain?]

. . . 

[You actually called the police. You won’t be slapped in the face, right? (covers face while laughing)]

. . . 

[The victim even sent you a WeChat code, but you self-destructed here and even made bogus accusations. Tsk, tsk, you are really thick-skinned]

Lu Qi even received private messages threatening his personal safety.

There was no telling how many were trolls and how many were passers-by who just wanted to “do justice” without knowing the truth.

The voices of “believers” began to become inconspicuous among the doubts that flooded the screen. Lu Qi temporarily disconnected from the internet and didn’t read any online news for three days, waiting for a report from the police.

On the fourth day, he was dug out of his nest by his cousin, Li Yimiao.

His cousin—a bright and savory little 0 from head to foot. He hooked Lu Qi’s neck and almost knocked him down.

“Ge! Don’t listen to those old dogs farting on the internet. What kind of man can’t you find? Would you still go harass that rotten man who looks like he has a kidney deficiency?^[1] Li Yimiao said: “Let’s go! I’ll take you to have fun! Let’s find a man!”

Lu Qi had still been sleeping before opening the door for him. His hair was stuck in bunches here and there, and there was a red mark on his cheek. He stared blankly at his cousin, who was looking through his clothes in the closet.

He calmed down after a while and hugged the clothes his cousin gave him, rubbing his eyes as he said: “It’s better not to go. I still have……”

He paused.

What else was there? The last Party A canceled their order, his private messages were full of malicious design invitations, and there was no response to a business proposal that was being discussed.

There was nothing that could be done.

“Let’s go, let’s go!” Li Yimiao pushed him into the bathroom. “It’s time to go out and have fun, why are you growing mushrooms at home? What a waste of your face, ah. Ge, if I looked like you, I would switch men three times a year.”

Lu Qi’s muffled voice sounded from the bathroom, very low: “Why three…..can’t there be just one?”

“Ge, do you still have this ambition?” Li Yimiao touched his chin and thought about how his Ge looked just now.

Like a sleepy little rabbit being taken out of its nest, its eyes red, sweet and soft, making people want to pet it.

He burst out laughing, holding onto the bathroom door as he guffawed. “Ge, just think about it. Today, Didi will take you to see the world and realize how sought-after you are. Those who scold you on the internet are just idiots.”

In the real world, few people who knew Lu Qi disliked him. Li Yimiao had never met a person as good as Lu Qi. He was charming and good-looking, had a gentle temperament, and always considered the other person’s feelings first in everything.

He didn’t have much contact with his cousin before junior high school. Lu Qi was what parents called a typical example of a standard that could not be met by others. He started participating in stray cat rescue in junior high, donated part of his living expenses to primary school students living in impoverished rural areas, and had outstanding academic performance. After hearing many times about how outstanding his cousin was, he began to instinctively hate that name. After all, this was the legendary “other people’s outstanding child.”

He felt that this cousin, whom he had only met a few times, was a temperless bleeding heart.

It wasn’t until Li Yumiao’s parents discovered his sexual orientation and several “educational” sessions failed that on the way to school, he was stopped by several burly men and dragged into a van.

He had long overheard his parents talk about it. They planned to send him to some institute for “treatment.” When most of his body was stuffed into the vehicle, he was completely desperate.

But Lu Qi appeared on a small electric eMule, like a beam of light piercing through heavy clouds. Lu Qi, who was also in his third year of high school at the time, looked neat and gentle, his skin so white that it practically glowed in the midsummer sun. Seeing his cousin being stuffed into the van, Lu Qi was stunned for a moment, then decisively rushed over on the small eMule.

Li Yimiao saw Lu Qi’s firm, bright eyes between the arms of those strong men, and then the small eMule in shopping center colors ran rampant and knocked down two men. Lu Qi reached out to grab him, and he held that slender, beautiful hand and quickly climbed onto the eMule and was led away by his cousin.

The summer sun was bright and hot, and the shadows of the trees cast mottled shadows on Lu Qi’s slightly thin shoulders and back. Li Yimiao sat behind, feeling that his hands and feet were slowly warming up.

He didn’t know if it was because of the sunshine or because of his cousin.

Later, he dropped out of school to work and escaped from that suffocating home, and Lu Qi would help him every month. Li Yimiao couldn’t understand how when it came to such a good person as his cousin, strangers who didn’t know him at all and never met him could say evil things without knowing the truth.

When the two were taking a taxi on the side of the road, Li Yimiao proudly pointed to the dark circles under his eyes: “I spent the whole night setting them straight. Fuck, I scolded them until three accounts were banned. If that kind of person were standing in front of me, I would give them a left hook, then kick them to the ground and beat them to pieces…..”

He gestured and danced, but he was not as tall as Lu Qi, and was so thin that the whole thing was total bluff and bluster. Looking at the shining water droplets at the ends of his eyes, Lu Qi finally couldn’t help but laugh.

His eyelashes cast shadows under the streetlight. His eyes were bent, and there seemed to be a forest stream reflecting the sky flowing inside.

Li Yimiao’s voice stopped suddenly, and he murmured after a moment: “Ge…..why are your eyes so good-looking…..”

“You’re good-looking too.” Lu Qi pulled him into the car. “I’ll just find a corner to sit in for a while. You go play by yourself and don’t worry about me. I just want to sit in a place with people for a while.”

Li Yimiao laughed, haha, and agreed, but his eyes rolled around in circles.

Lu Qi looked at him suspiciously. “What are you planning?”

Li Yimiao: “I’m telling you, you don’t have to be afraid.”

Lu Qi: “……”

“I…..I found you an extremely handsome guy…..” Li Yimiao said with a guilty conscience, “Anyway, you broke up with your ex-boyfriend, and you don’t have much work during this period, so why not…..”

Lu Qi said decisively: “Driver, stop the car!”

“No, ge!” Li Yimiao rushed over and hugged Lu Qi’s waist. “What would I let happen between you and him? Just chat with him and relax, aiyo~ My best brother~ I really spent a lot of effort to find this perfect dish, why don’t you just take a look~”

. . . . . . .

Unable to bear Li Yimiao’s puppy-like whining, Lu Qi finally took a seat at the bar, intending to explain things clearly to the other person. He didn’t have the energy to enter a new relationship for the time being.

The lights at the bar were low and dim, with young people dancing to the rhythm on the dance floor. The noisy environment and rhythmic music at last dispelled some of his cold unease.

Lu Qi held a cup of Coke and said to himself: You see, in reality, everyone is too busy and has no time to attack a stranger. So don’t worry, these things will pass soon.

While he was lost in thought, a pair of long legs flashed in the corner of his eye, and someone sat down across from him.

Lu Qi looked up and was startled for a moment upon seeing the appearance of his “blind date” partner.

It was unknown if he was mixed-race, but his facial features were particularly deep-set and handsome. He was full of vigor, with thick black hair that curled down between his refined eyebrows. The shape of his eyes was completely different from Lu Qi’s. The tails of those eyes were narrow and sharp, regarding people with an indifferent and imposing look.

There was a sense of wealth all over his body, and he had a roguish aura as he sat with his legs crossed like a CG model.

If it weren’t for the identifying flirtatious burgundy shirt, Lu Qi would have thought he’d recognized the wrong person.

But to be on the safe side, Lu Qi still asked: “Are you Lion?”

The man didn’t respond, but raised his eyebrows in surprise, eyes gleaming. He looked Lu Qi up and down and chuckled after a moment: “Yeah, that’s me.”

He added: “Sorry, nobody’s called me that name for a long time, so I couldn’t react for a moment.”

His attitude was somewhat proud and haughty, which confused Lu Qi a little bit. Was this kind of persona more popular on blind dates these days?

When Lu Qi looked at him, the other person looked back with some unexplained amusement in his eyes.

Lu Qi appeared handsome and clean, with a temperament somewhere between a boy and a young man. Perhaps he himself didn’t notice, but countless eyes all over the bar were sneaking peeks over here, either veiled or intense, most of them looking at Lu Qi.

Sitting here talking business with such a “little friend” made him feel unscrupulous and guilty.

The onstage performance officially started, and rock music suddenly began. In order for the other party to hear him, he had to get up and sit next to the boy.

“Don’t make an appointment here next time.” He leaned closer to Lu Qi and said, “Let’s go to the hotel opposite.”

Lu Qi: ……

Ah? Was this a blind date or a hookup? So direct?

Lu Qi’s ears felt hot. Amidst the deafening music, he had to amplify his voice to say: “There is no next time. I don’t think we’re suitable…..”

The music was too loud, and the word “we” was unclear.

The man only heard that it was unsuitable. He frowned, and continued to lean closer to speak in Lu Qi’s ear: “If you think it’s expensive, we can discuss it…..but one time isn’t impossible, right?”

After he said this, he stared blankly as that fair ear covered by soft black hair reddened little by little, finally turning the color of strawberry milk.

He had a gut feeling that something wasn’t quite right.

Lu Qi stared at him, his big eyes wide, like some kind of soft little animal with puffed up fur.

“Expensive…..” His voice shook slightly. “You, you…..you…..”

Seeing Lu Qi like this, the other party’s eyebrows knitted even tighter, and there was a hint of chill on that handsome and flamboyant face. “We negotiated the price beforehand and the deposit was paid. Do you intend to go back on your word?”

Lu Qi: ……

Mother! Was that what he meant? Did that little fool Li Yimiao find him a little duck?

His mind was filled with cries of “quack, quack, quack.” He didn’t know where to put his hands and feet for a moment, and it made his face heat up, the temperature even starting to spread to his neck. 

Wait…..

Prostitution was illegal!

Lu Qi couldn’t help but cast a vague glance at this man.

The dark burgundy shirt had two buttons undone. The brand was unknown, but the fabric was of high quality, and the other party also had a beautiful silver chain around his neck. It shined above the collarbones, and the chest muscles filled out those clothes just right. They were not overly large, very pleasing to the eye.

This was nothing more than a top-rate sex worker.

But…..

He was breaking the law!

Lu Qi’s little brain, which had been stagnant for several days, was working rapidly. He thought that Li Yimiao, who had solicited a prostitute, had also broken the law. If he reported this little duck and escorted Li Yimiao to turn himself in, could he get a lighter sentence?

Seeing that the little duck was obviously impatient, Lu Qi turned sideways and silently switched on his phone’s recording function. 

He had also recorded the phone call to that dog Lin Yuan. It was a pity that Lin Yuan did not directly admit to hacking the account, so it couldn’t be used as direct evidence. This time, he had learned his lesson, and made his position clear when he opened his mouth: “There won’t be a next time for sure!!!”

Fearing that the recording wouldn’t be clear, he was straightforward and decisive, like a child promising to his kindergarten teacher that he wouldn’t make any more mistakes.

The man: ……

If there wouldn’t be, there wouldn’t be. It wasn’t like this entertainment reporter needed to suddenly express his determination and try to scare him.

He stood up, his eyes cold and narrow: “The deposit is non-refundable, and there is no need for a person like you who has no credibility to be in this business anymore.”

Lu Qi almost laughed. Then thank you very much, are you quite proud?

Well, he did have the capital to be proud. His face, waist, and legs were all very expensive.

The other party had already said the word “deposit,” Lu Qi cautiously and prudently started fishing on behalf of law enforcement: “I can give you the balance, but I’m a little tired today and I don’t want to have sexual relations with you. However, I can’t spend money in vain. How about you…..be my model and let me draw your figure?”

He would normally be too embarrassed to say the words “sexual relations,” but his phone was recording, so he had to speak clearly and keep the little duck still. He was about to send a text message to the police.

The other person continued to stare at him. His eyes turned from cold to blank, then cleared bit by bit and finally turned into a natural smile. Unfortunately, the smile did not reach the bottom of his eyes, which were as bone-chilling as two knives flashing toward him.

Lu Qi didn’t take the opportunity to send the message. 

The man didn’t speak for a long moment.

From the angle at which he was looking down, the neat young man sat with his head down, his long eyelashes fluttering like the wings of butterflies.

He was obviously a little panicked, but pretending to be calm. It was a little cute.

The annoyance of being mistaken for a duck was halfway suppressed, and he couldn’t help but think, could there be such a coincidence? That duck was also called “Lion?”

What quality. Using the same name as him.

Just as he was about to open his mouth to resolve this, he heard Lu Qi say softly: “That…..you also have to take off your clothes anyway to provide services. Being a model means you don’t have to move, and you’ll save energy, right?”

“……” The man smiled like a fox with a full belly teasing a rabbit. “I’m at your service, so of course I’ll strive to satisfy you. How far should I remove my clothing? Can I leave my underwear on? Or…..”

With a smile in his voice, he said: “Total nudity?”

He said these two words in standard English, and the last note was slightly hoarse, ticklish to the ear.

When speaking of this, Lu Qi considered it seriously. “You can wear underwear.”

“Then…..thank you.” He suppressed a smile, and saw from the corner of his eye a man stand up in the opposite booth and look around. He was wearing a high imitation burgundy shirt of the same style.

“Tsk.” The man frowned and glanced sideways at Lu Qi.

The boy’s profile looked as white as handcrafted porcelain under the dim lights of the bar.

How could he dare ask for money for that kind of thing? Who should be giving money to whom?

But Lu Qi didn’t see the other burgundy shirt, and was still thinking about when to call the police when he saw the man next to him suddenly turn sideways, as if he was about to leave.

Was he getting suspicious?

Lu Qi took a deep breath and tried his best to act like an experienced customer. He grabbed the man’s slender hand and rubbed it ambiguously twice.

“Ch…..charge some interest.”

Under his gaze, the little duck suddenly laughed wantonly.

Lu Qi was baffled.

Then the man bent down and rubbed his head, turned around, and left.

Lu Qi: Ahhhh!!

His chance to get leniency for himself ran away!!

Where was Li Yimiao, that abominable legal illiterate?!

. . . . . . . 

When he came out the back door of the bar, the assistant waiting outside lowered his head and stepped forward to put a coat on the man. He waited for a moment, but the boss didn’t move. He looked up doubtfully and saw that the boss was in a good mood with his lips curved up, that flawless face pleased as punch.

The assistant: ? ? ?

It was clear that the other party had gotten the address wrong, and the boss’s trip was in vain, but he still seemed to be in a good mood?

He asked in a low voice: “Mr. Mu, do you still plan to look for that reporter?”

“I do.” Mu Nanqiao touched the back of his hand. There were still a few red marks on it. That little friend had rubbed it very hard.

“I’ll sell the news so that it gets out before the Dragon Boat Festival…..” He smiled. “Best wishes to my dear uncle for the festival.

The assistant followed two steps, but the boss paused again.

The assistant: “Mr. Mu?”

Mu Nanqiao thought for a moment, then turned to the side and tapped the back door of the bar. “There’s a duck named “Lion” in there. Find him and tell him to change his name, then get out of Chongxin District and do business elsewhere.”

The assistant: ? ? ?

---

[1] Kidney deficiency commonly means not being able to “get it up.” ⮐

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Chapter Four << Table of Contents >> Chapter Six

When they entered the city, there was no hustle and bustle like in the cities they had passed previously. People walked hurriedly on the road, and almost one third of the shops along the way were closed. Around corners and inside dark alleys, refugees begging or lying motionless could be seen everywhere. From time to time, patrolling soldiers drove them away in order to prevent the main street from becoming too unsightly.

This was the case on the main road, but it was even more difficult to say how the minor ones looked.

They searched for a long time before finding an inn that was open. It was quite large and had many guests, mostly travelers going from north to south.

When they asked about the price, the accommodations were fine, but the food was more than ten times more expensive than in the city next door.

Seeing the surprised expressions on the guests’ faces, the shopkeeper also said as usual, “Guests, we are the oldest inn here, we’re really not running a scam. The cost is high, but we can’t lose money, right? Both of you seem knowledgeable. You should know that our area is prone to disasters all year round, and the money and food provided for disaster relief is a drop in the bucket, leading to higher and higher prices in the city. Even the common people in the city can hardly afford to eat, and it’s already good that our shop can supply it now while other shops are closed.”

The shopkeeper complained with a knitted brow. It was obvious that with such high prices, sooner or later, their inn would no longer be able to stay open.

Huo Fenglie spoke little and simply paid.

The shopkeeper wouldn’t let them eat in the lobby, for fear of them being seen by the refugees walking near the door. They were very hungry, and would just rush in and grab the food. No one would be pleased with such a commotion, so he asked a waiter to deliver the food directly to the guest room.

When they arrived at the guest room, the entire street could be seen when the window was opened. The sight of the setting sun was beautiful, but the city looked lifeless under its glow.

Liu Zhenqing sat cross-legged on the windowsill, looking down expressionlessly. There was no telling what was on his mind.

He heard Huo Fenglie call out to him suddenly, and Liu Zhenqing turned his head to look over. He saw Huo Fenglie pointing at a decoration on the wall.

Upon closer inspection, it was the symbol of the Heaven’s Blessing Sect again, but this one was more delicate and looked like an ordinary decoration.

After a while, the waiter came with the food. In fact, it could not be considered as exquisite as in other cities, but Huo Fenglie still chose fish for Liu Zhenqing.

Seeing that the waiter delivering the food was quite thin, Liu Zhenqing asked curiously, “Waiter, do you usually not get enough to eat?”

The waiter was startled, and said quickly: “Guest, I didn’t steal your food. Our inn provides food for the waiters.”

Huo Fenglie naturally knew what Liu Zhenqing wanted to ask, so he said: “Your hands are unsteady, as if you haven’t eaten all day.”

The waiter suddenly looked embarrassed.

Liu Zhenqing thought this was a good starting point for the topic, so he cooperated with Huo Fenglie seamlessly and took two meat buns from the plate, handing them to the waiter: “We’ll treat you to a meal, and you can chat with us.”

The waiter was in disbelief. After all, two meat buns were worth several taels now. “Guest, what do you want me to talk about with you? These buns…..”

“I can’t make you waste your time in vain. Sit down and eat,” Liu Zhenqing said with a smile.

The waiter sat down and wolfed one down, but held the other one in his hand.

Liu Zhenqing first asked him why he looked like he didn’t get enough to eat. Wasn’t this managed by the shop?

The waiter said helplessly: “In our family, only the youngest has a job. The others are farmers and were affected by the disaster. They don’t have enough to eat. The adults are fine, but the children and the elderly are having a hard time, so every time the innkeeper distributes food, I keep some to take home for everyone to share.”

“How is the local disaster relief situation?” Huo Fenglie asked.

“Ai, the government records the number of people who don’t have enough food, and they receive food either on odd or even days. It is equivalent to eating one day and being hungry one day, but there is only one meal. Our area is pretty good, and there are at least few cases of people starving to death. In some remote places, there is not even enough food to distribute, and people starve to death in one village after another.” The waiter shook his head as he spoke: “I’ve seen many people who escaped from there, and they were all as starving and crazy as living ghosts. You two guests are generous, but when you encounter those disaster refugees, you must not be kind and give them food, or something might happen to you. We must be kind-hearted, but not at the cost of harm to ourselves.”

Both Liu Zhenqing and Huo Fenglie knew that the emergence of such refugees proved there was a serious problem of uneven distribution in the disaster relief process. It could be said that some places were simply abandoned by the government.

The situation turned out to be more troublesome than expected.

Liu Zhenqing feigned curiosity and pointed at the sigil on the wall, asking, “Waiter, what is this? We seem to have seen it several times since coming here.”

The waiter seemed pleased, and looked at the sigil piously. He said: “That is the symbol of the Heaven’s Blessing Sect. You two don’t know, but the Heaven’s Blessing Sect has been sent by the gods to save us. If they weren’t here, our lands would have fallen long ago. The government is useless, and the throne doesn’t care about us. We all suspect that the amount of funds allocated for disaster relief is not much at all, or was otherwise embezzled by officials. Speaking of which, the late treacherous Prime Minister Liu must also be mentioned.”

Liu Zhenqing sucked in a breath at once. Why was it him again?

The waiter spoke so agitatedly that he didn’t notice the change in Huo Fenglie’s expression. “Nine years ago, the situation was even worse here, and almost everyone was a disaster victim. The treacherous minister allowed corrupt officials to harm us. I still remember that what I ate those days could not be considered human food, but food for animals. There were a lot of complaints later, and although a few corrupt officials were finally dealt with, a bunch of them were left behind to continue to harm us, probably to make money for themselves. After that, the new emperor gradually sent new officials to take office, but everyone’s lives were still difficult. In the end, we were harmed by the treacherous minister. Our vitality and feng shui were damaged, and will never recover.”

“Cough, cough, cough. Talk about the Heaven’s Blessing Sect.” Seeing that Huo Fenglie’s expression was getting worse and worse, Liu Zhenqing wanted to avoid trouble, and interrupted directly.

As soon as he mentioned the Heaven’s Blessing Sect, the waiter was quick to say excitedly: “Thanks be to the Heaven’s Blessing Sect for coming to protect us. Many people who were about to starve to death due to the disasters this year are able to live well and send food to their families after joining. Unfortunately, I wasn’t selected, or I would have joined the Heaven’s Blessing Sect too.”

Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help but ask: “But you’re not starving to death now, and don’t you also send food to your family?”

The waiter was suddenly confused. “That…..that’s different. I’m so tired every day, and I still don’t have enough to eat.”

“Oh, it turns out that if you join the Heaven’s Blessing Sect, you can eat well and enjoy happiness every day without having to work hard?” Liu Zhenqing raised his eyebrows.

The waiter choked. He didn’t know whether those who entered the Heaven’s Blessing Sect would be tired or be able to eat their fill. In any case, they would have money and food to send home. Putting it this way, it seemed that there was really no difference between them and him, a part-time worker?

The waiter had originally held the firm belief that the Heaven’s Blessing Sect was a good place, but when someone questioned him at this moment, he couldn’t entirely grasp it. Finally, he seemed to think of something and said excitedly: “Right, tonight happens to be the Goddess Blessings Parade, which happens every three days. You will know how good the Heaven’s Blessing Sect is after seeing it.”

This was an important piece of information.

After night fell, the restlessness of the streets could be truly felt. Liu Zhenqing continued to sit on the windowsill, with Huo Fenglie standing behind him. Soon, the sound of music could be heard from afar, and the sacred sound seemed to welcome the arrival of the gods. People stood on both sides of the road, most of them refugees. Soldiers came at once to maintain order, forming formations similar to an official parade. With this scene, it was basically confirmed that the government had something to do with the Heaven’s Blessing Sect, or the government wouldn’t have lent them such manpower.

What was interesting was that people like the waiter believed solely in the Heaven’s Blessing Sect and were resistant to the government. They believed that the ones who could save them were the Heaven’s Blessing Sect, rather than the Great Zhou Dynasty. This good-guy-bad-guy routine was quite interesting.

Very soon, a contingent slowly approached with envoys in white in front and behind. Some played music, some carried baskets, some stood guard, and some carried platforms.

And the focus was naturally on the ten white-clothed women kneeling on the platforms.

Those women were dressed in holy white dresses and white veils. From their brows and eyes, a hint of youthfulness and beauty could be seen, and their figures also showed that they were all slim beauties.

They all sat quietly on the platforms, dignified and elegant, with their hands pressed together symbolically. They looked straight ahead like jade sculptures, as if they were truly performing some sacred blessing ceremony. As the rhythm of the music changed, the envoys in white holding baskets below would throw broken cakes and steamed buns toward the crowd.

The total amount of food thrown out was actually not much. It wasn’t enough for ten people, but hundreds tried frantically to grab it. Even so, they didn’t dare to disturb those platforms. Those who succeeded in grabbing some began to kneel down and kowtow, crying with gratitude.

This scene seemed sacred to those below, but from Liu Zhenqing’s point of view, it was extremely disgusting. The Heaven’s Blessing Sect was very good at controlling people’s hearts. Taking advantage of the common people’s dissatisfaction with the government’s arrangements, they used such small favors to win people’s hearts and make them feel grateful.

However, it was difficult to say whether this was a coordinated effort between the government and the Heaven’s Blessing Sect. What were they trying to do?

Were they just greedy for wealth, or did they have other motives?

Huo Fenglie had told Liu Zhenqing that he was here to investigate the disaster relief issue on behalf of the emperor, and to find out if there was any corruption or dereliction of duty on the part of officials. But now, it could be seen that it was not so simple. He didn’t know if Huo Fenglie had noticed, and hesitated over whether to warn him.

Suddenly, the person behind him said: “The women above have had their acupoints tapped by an expert.”

When Liu Zhenqing heard this, he immediately turned to look at Huo Fenglie and said, “You mean to say they’re being forced, and that’s why they don’t move?”

Huo Fenglie nodded.

“Putting it like this, at least the goddesses above are not there voluntarily. The Heaven’s Blessing Sect promotes itself so highly, yet still forces others to do things. It seems to have many secrets, ah,” Liu Zhenqing said with great interest.

“I must follow,” Huo Fenglie said suddenly, then lowered his head and looked at Liu Zhenqing with an intent gaze.

Liu Zhenqing blinked and said, “You go ahead, I’ll wait here.”

Huo Fenglie didn’t respond, continuing to look at him.

Liu Zhenqing said in surprise: “You don’t expect me to go with you, right? I don’t know martial arts, and I’ll be a burden if I go along. What if I accidentally alert the enemy?”

“I need someone to advise me,” Huo Fenglie said lightly. “I think you’re smarter than me.”

The corners of Liu Zhenqing’s mouth twitched. His words were nonsensical, yet true.

However, hearing Huo Fenglie say that he was willing to risk taking him to do such an important thing, it was clear that he was gradually accepting and acclimating to the original “Liu Xiaozhu.”

Naturally, Liu Zhenqing was not qualified to refuse. He could only say: “If anything happens, General Huo can…..”

Huo Fenglie quickly interjected: “As long as you don’t leave my side, I won’t allow others to hurt you in the slightest.”

Liu Zhenqing knew Huo Fenglie meant that if the two of them acted together, then even if they faced many opponents, he would be protected. 

Seeing that the contingent was about to depart, the two of them followed directly without delay.

They initially mixed in with the crowd following them, but after circling the city for what seemed like forever, they began to leave. 

The city gates were opened specially for them at night, and of course, only their contingent could pass through, thus separating the following crowd from the Heaven’s Blessing Sect team.

Just when Liu Zhenqing was about to ask what they should do, Huo Fenglie whispered: “Hold tight.”

As he spoke, he reached out and pulled Liu Zhenqing into his arms before he could react, then leaped into the air. Liu Zhenqing took a sharp, frightened breath and raised his hands to hug Huo Fenglie’s neck tightly. He used too much force, which caused his nose to hit Huo Fenglie’s cheek so hard that it became sore.

It was truly a good thing that Huo Feihan often took him flying in the past, otherwise his screams would be echoing around the city gate right now.

In a few moments, the wildly blowing wind around them stopped, and the two of them landed outside the city wall.

Liu Zhenqing took a breath and said: “General Huo, warn me in advance next time. You really must not be afraid that I’ll scream in fear.”

Huo Fenglie didn’t let go of Liu Zhenqing, but whispered: “Okay. Hold tight, we’re about to fly.”

“Ah?”

In the next moment, Huo Fenglie lifted Liu Zhenqing and chased after the team using qinggong.

Liu Zhenqing gradually adapted to it, but felt a little uncomfortable. It wasn’t that he was uncomfortable being carried by a grown man, but because he used to run around with Er-gou in his arms. Now that the child had really grown up and was able to fly with Liu Zhenqing in his arms, there was a strange feeling of abnormality that was difficult to describe.

Not long after leaving the city, there was fortunately a dense forest in the mountains where they could hide and avoid discovery. However, they noticed that something was wrong with the contingent. Some carriages had filed in behind them at some point. It was unknown whether they were outside the city gate or in the dense forest, but in short, they met up with the Heaven’s Blessing Sect contingent and entered the forest together.

Huo Fenglie carefully observed the team and then shuttled between the huge trees.

Liu Zhenqing’s eyesight was not as good as that of a martial artist, so he naturally couldn’t see that far. He cooperated by remaining still. When he got bored, he quietly gazed at Huo Fenglie’s profile, looking at the toughened contours of his face and carefully studying the angles of his nose, mouth, and eyebrows. The more he looked, the more good looking he became, and there was a sense of pride like that of a family member seeing their child all grown up.

Perhaps because his gaze was so intense, Huo Fenglie at last looked back at him uncomfortably, as if blaming him for disturbing him.

Liu Zhenqing blinked innocently, and they soon reached their destination.

There was an enormous courtyard hidden in the forested mountains. It was opulent and luxurious, with bright lights. People in white could be seen everywhere and there were many guards patrolling around, as if they were afraid of someone intruding. There was also a cave in the mountain behind the courtyard, which was also lit with lights. It was very strange.

And the whole area was much more vibrant than down the mountain.

Huo Fenglie observed their patterns for a while, and then sneaked in with Liu Zhenqing. After jumping over the roofs of several houses and approaching the central area, they suddenly heard a woman’s cry coming from a house below. It was a cry for help.

Naturally, they couldn’t ignore this situation. Once Huo Fenglie made sure there were no guards around, he jumped down with Liu Zhenqing and approached the door, only to find that it was locked from the outside. Huo Fenglie struck down with his sword and broke the chain. The door opened, and Huo Fenglie had Liu Zhenqing wait at the door while he rushed in first.

Liu Zhenqing also looked inside, and first smelled a faint fragrance. He frowned slightly. Why did this scent seem familiar? Presently, a man in his forties could be seen rushing toward a young red-eyed woman as if he was drunk.

And that young woman was dressed like the goddesses from before.

The woman ran away, crying frantically. When someone appeared, he immediately rushed over. “Save me!”

Huo Fenglie allowed the woman to hide behind him, and when he saw the man rushing toward her, he kicked him away. But immediately after taking action, he realized that the smell in the room was wrong and quickly raised his arm to cover his nose.

“There’s poison, get out!” Huo Fenglie said.

Liu Zhenqing also realized the problem and quickly called the woman out. The man was kicked so hard that he vomited blood, and rushed toward the goddess like crazy. Huo Fenglie was about to attack with the hilt of his sword, but when the woman saw him move, she thought he was going to kill him and quickly shouted: “Don’t do it, he’s a good official. He was drugged, he’s not a bad person!”

Presently, Huo Fenglie had already hit the man in the stomach with the hilt of his sword, knocking him out. Huo Fenglie quickly took the man out by his collar.

“In here.” Liu Zhenqing found an empty room next door and called them all inside. Otherwise, they could be easily spotted wandering around the courtyard. As they went, he casually reattached the chain in the first room for a bit of deception.

When Liu Zhenqing finished up and went in, he saw that the woman was hiding in the corner shivering. The middle-aged man was unconscious, but was full of vitality and had a very painful look on his face.

It seemed self-evident what kind of drug was in that room just now.

Fortunately, Liu Zhenqing was carrying detoxification pills with him. Even if he didn’t take one, at least the poisonous smog was gone, and he had only been at the door, so it had almost no effect on him.

But something didn’t seem to be right about someone.

“Young Master, the incense in that room just now is an aphrodisiac. It’s very strong, and can make people lose their humanity. What should be done?” The woman asked Liu Zhenqing in fright. She didn’t dare to go out for fear of being caught, but didn’t seem to dare stay here either. Her eyes wandered tremblingly to the middle-aged man and finally landed on Huo Fenglie in terror, because he was the only one affected and still conscious.

Liu Zhenqing looked in amusement to where Huo Fenglie was sitting cross-legged in meditation. Just as he was about to take out the antidote pills for the other person, he saw Huo Fenglie suddenly open his eyes. They had turned dark red, and were full of aggression. 

Without waiting for them to react, Huo Fenglie suddenly stood up and rushed toward the two of them.

“Ya! Don’t…..” The woman got up awkwardly and tried to flee, for fear of becoming a lamb to be slaughtered.

Liu Zhenqing’s expression changed slightly, and he immediately shielded the woman. He knew that if a man saw a beautiful woman in this sort of situation, he was more likely to lose his mind.  He blocked Huo Fenglie’s path and said to the woman, “You go out first.”

But the woman’s voice stopped abruptly in the next second, and she froze while opening the door. At the same time, a muffled masculine groan sounded in the room.

It wasn’t until his line of sight changed to the ceiling that Liu Zhenqing realized…..he had been jumped by Er-gou?

Feeling a strong, stiff body and an unusual situation, there was also a warm touch that suddenly fell on his neck. Liu Zhenqing was instantly itchy, irritated, frightened, and then amused.

---

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Chapter Thirty-Six << Table of Contents >> Chapter Thirty-Eight

After a brief lunch break at the private racecourse, Pei Yi started afternoon training with his coach.

The two arrived at the stables, and Pei Yi saw Zong Baiyan’s beloved horse at a glance—

It was a brown chestnut thoroughbred horse named Changfeng.

Pei Yi’s eyes were bright as he stood on tiptoe and patted the thoroughbred horse’s face. “Coach Gao, can I ride Father Yan’s Changfeng this afternoon?”

Pei Yi had his own pony and had ridden it during the daily training that morning.

When Zong Baiyan trained with him in the past, he would always use Changfeng to walk him around and gallop every afternoon.

Although the other party didn’t accompany him to train today, Pei Yi still wanted to ride Changfeng. 

How majestic the big horse was!

Coach Gao thought about it for a moment, and agreed. “But you can’t ride him yourself today. I’ll lead him, and you can sit on him and play for a while.”

After all, every horse had its own temperament. Although Pei Yi could be regarded as a little master, the real master Zong Baiyan was not here—

For the sake of the horse itself and the safety of the children, they, as coaches, must be careful.

Pei Yi muttered, “Can’t I ride by myself? Don’t lead me.”

Coach Gao patted his helmet lightly. “That won’t work, you’re not able to ride a big horse alone at your age and height. It wouldn’t be good if Mr. Zong discovered you.”

“…….”

Pei Yi’s small thoughts were extinguished instantly, but he was still a little unresigned. “No children can ride?”

Coach Gao led the horse out for him and answered, “That isn’t the case. We have a very young member here who is older and taller than you. He was able to ride alone at the age of eleven or twelve.”

As he spoke, another equestrian trainer led a black horse to walk toward them.

Pei Yi’s attention was immediately drawn. He looked up and stared at the black horse with a shiny, moist coat, and wanted to go up and touch it.

Just as he was thinking about it, Coach Gao on the side said, “Why did you bring this Friesian out today? Isn’t he only trained every Tuesday and Wednesday?”

The horse trainer replied, “The time has been changed temporarily. He’ll come later. I’m taking the horse out first to warm it up.”

“Okay.”

Coach Gao didn’t ask any more questions, and took Pei Yi out.

Pei Yi was led out several meters without turning his eyes away, as curious as a little cat. “Coach Gao, that dark horse is so good-looking!”

Coach Gao said with a smile, “When your riding skills become stable and you get older, I’ll ask Mr. Zong to buy you a big horse like that one.”

Pei Yi shook his head. “My little pony is fine.”

He didn’t understand before, but it was different now—

Whether it was Changfeng or the dark horse just now, their value was enough to cover the expenses of the orphanage for one or two years.

He was already content to learn equestrian skills, and would no longer spend Father Yan and Father Rong’s money in an extravagant manner.

The coach didn’t understand Pei Yi’s ideas at such a young age, and just took him to the riding stable for instruction.

The two of them walked around the arena three times before taking a short rest.

Coach Gao also asked Pei Yi to temporarily dismount. He looked at the time and said, “Let’s rest where we are for twenty minutes. You sit here and drink some water. We’ll jog two more laps later, and it will be nearly three o’clock.”

Pei Yi took the canteen handed over by Coach Gao, but wasn’t in a hurry to drink it.

The phone rang.

Coach Gao looked at the caller ID and told Pei Yi again, “Don’t run around here, teacher will be back soon!”

There were surveillance cameras everywhere in the riding stable, and no ordinary people could enter, so it was relatively safe.

“Oh.”

Pei Yi sat down on the bench and rested obediently, carrying his blue cartoon canteen.

Taking advantage of Zong Baiyan’s absence today, he hadn’t taken a bite since he got up early, and the water in the canteen was nearly full at this moment.

It was almost three o’clock.

Pei Yi remembered Xu Rong’s instructions and resignedly opened the canteen’s lid, taking a few perfunctory sips through the straw.

Clop clop clop!

The sound of galloping horse hooves suddenly sounded. Pei Yi raised his eyes and looked toward the source of the sound—

There was a person riding the black horse he had just seen, galloping a few meters away. When he encountered the low railing set up outside the racecourse, he directly pulled the reins and jumped over it.

“Wow!”

Pei Yi blurted this out unconsciously. It wasn’t until the black horse ran past that he finally saw clearly that the rider was actually a young man!

The admiration in Pei Yi’s eyes grew even stronger. “So awesome, ah.”

He stared at the other person’s strong, elegant figure for a moment, and suddenly felt a little anxious.

In less than three seconds, Pei Yi made up his mind and covered the canteen forcefully after taking two sips.

He quickly rushed to Changfeng’s side and untied the reins of his beloved horse hanging to the side. “Changfeng, let’s run around secretly, okay?”

Changfeng let out a breath and stamped his feet on the spot.

Pei Yi only thought that the other party had agreed, and tried his utmost to reach the stirrups with his short legs that had not yet grown.

He grasped the reins tightly and tried to adjust the horse’s direction, but Changfeng, who hadn’t been able to run yet, seemed to suddenly gain energy and started running clockwise.

It should be known that the Imperial Capital Private Racecourse had adopted foreign standard horse racing specifications, and horses were generally ridden in a counter-clockwise direction.

Pei Yi grew nervous when he saw that he and Changfeng were going in the wrong direction.

Before he could turn around, the fast black horse rushed over.

“……”

Pei Yi froze in fear and could only tighten the reins instinctively. He closed his eyes tight and didn’t dare to look at the oncoming “disaster.”

“—Shh!”

A warning sound came in time from the opposite side.

The deafening neigh of the horse came, and the frightened Changfeng neighed at the same time.

Pei Yi felt his body’s center of gravity suddenly fall back, and he fell almost uncontrollably from Changfeng, his insides shaking at once.

He blinked in fear, only to realize that he was lying under Changfeng’s feet. If the horse retreated at any time, he would easily suffer disaster.

“Come over!”

The sound of urging met his ears, and then Pei Yi felt his arm being pulled tightly—

The room began to spin for a moment, and Pei Yi’s head felt hot. “Wu.”

Under the constant fear, his back was still stiff and he dared not move.

A muffled voice suddenly came to his ears. “Are you…..okay?”

Pei Yi opened his eyes belatedly and found that he had somehow regarded the young man as a “human cushion.” At this moment, he was lying on the other person’s body and burying his head in their neck.

“Second Young Master!”

“Second Young Master! Are you okay?”

Uncle Kai, the housekeeper who had accompanied him, was so frightened by this scene that he ran over immediately.

At the same time, Coach Gao, who had finished his phone call, sensed that something was wrong and ran over with haste.

The person below him patted Pei Yi on the back and asked, “Are you injured? Can you move?”

Pei Yi realized that he had done something wrong and almost caused a disaster, and his eyes immediately reddened in a panic.

Enduring the numbness in his arm, he got up before the others arrived.

Without the weight keeping his body down, Bo Yueming stood up neatly and quickly patted the sand off his body.

Uncle Kai and Coach Gao arrived one after another. The latter hadn’t seen the incident, and was the first to ask, “What’s going on? Why did Pei Yi bring Changfeng here?”

He had gone to answer the phone for four or five minutes, so why did it turn into this?

Pei Yi lowered his head in guilt and fear. Just as he was about to apologize and admit his mistake, he heard the young man beside him make excuses for him. “I didn’t pay attention to the distance between the horses. I rode too fast and the two horses got too close.”

Bo Yueming looked at the two horses that had run away in fear, and said, “Please go and get the horses back first.”

Uncle Kai beside him saw that Bo Yueming’s expression was not serious, and kept silent in a timely manner.

Coach Gao was aware of Bo Yueming’s identity. He nodded slightly and then looked anxiously at Pei Yi. “Are you hurt anywhere?”

Pei Yi was waiting in fear to be criticized. How could he dare say there was something wrong with him? He shook his head like a rattle.

Coach Gao patted his shoulder in comfort. “Then you go back to the bench and sit for a while. I’ll chase the horses back first and we’ll talk about the rest later.”

Pei Yi nodded.

After Coach Gao left, Uncle Kai asked again, “Second Young Master, are you all right? I was really scared to death just now.”

Bo Yueming shook his head. “It’s nothing.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Pei Yi standing opposite him leaned closer and apologized. “I’m sorry.”

Bo Yueming looked at the unfamiliar young boy in front of him, who was more than half a head shorter, with adult-like seriousness on his face.

“How old are you? How did you dare to ride an adult horse?”

“…….”

This question got straight to the point.

Pei Yi took a breath and raised his eyes fearfully. “I, I rode him secretly. I won’t dare to do it next time.”

The protective helmet on his head was crooked and his riding uniform was stained by a lot of sand. He looked pitiful and dirty, but also incredibly honest.

Uncle Kai next to him felt that Pei Yi was unfamiliar. “Which family is this young master from?”

This private racecourse had a membership system with a million-yuan annual fee, and no more than three members could make reservations on the same day. The only people who came here for this hobby were the top rich and famous people in the Imperial Capital circle.

Pei Yi shook his head and said nothing.

Bo Yueming’s keen eyes caught the scratches on the back of Pei Yi’s hands. He said out of courtesy, “Uncle Kai, go get the medical kit. His hands are injured and bleeding.”

Pei Yi lowered his eyes and hid his hands behind his back as if to evade. “……I’m fine, it doesn’t hurt.”

He was currently praying that Father Rong and Father Yan wouldn’t find out about this matter. What if they thought he was naughty and disobedient and wanted to send him back to the orphanage?

Bo Yueming ignored Pei Yi’s excuse and only looked at Uncle Kai.

It was his temporary rescheduling today that took away the other party’s opportunity to use the racecourse alone. Moreover, if he hadn’t made Adrien run so fast, the other party’s horse wouldn’t have been frightened.

Uncle Kai knew his young master’s temperament, so he turned and went to get the medical kit.

Once all the adults present had left, Pei Yi finally regained some courage.

He looked up at Bo Yueming, who was much taller than him, and realized belatedly that the other’s mixed-race appearance was particularly eye-catching. Especially those dark blue eyes.

The situation just now had been so chaotic that Pei Yi could no longer tell what had happened during that brief time, but he understood that the other party must have protected him.

Bo Yueming saw him staring intently and felt uncomfortable. “What are you looking at me for?”

Pei Yi took the initiative to lean forward a little, polite and well-behaved. “Thank you, Gege, you’re so awesome.”

“…….”

Faced with Pei Yi’s sudden address, Bo Yueming silently clenched the corners of his clothes with his fingers. Due to his special background, his younger siblings had never called him “Gege.”

But when Pei Yi suddenly called him this way upon meeting for the first time, Bo Yueming felt indescribably awkward and complicated.

Pei Yi noticed Bo Yueming’s lack of response and pointed at the nearby bench and invited, “The coach asked me to sit down and wait for him.”

Bo Yueming understood and said, “Let’s go to the guest hall and wait.”

Pei Yi felt that he was reliable, and nodded trustingly.

. . . . . . . .

Fifteen minutes later, in the guest hall.

Coach Gao roughly came to understand the situation based on Bo Yueming’s words, and regarded it as a false alarm. “It’s great that everything is fine. Pei Yi, we won’t practice today. You just wait here for Mr. Zong to pick you up.”

There was none of the expected criticism, so Pei Yi nodded hurriedly.

Coach Gao had learned from the previous lesson and didn’t dare to step away again.

He just walked to the work area a few steps away and recorded what had happened that day. He also had to inform the parents later.

Uncle Kai took the afternoon tea from an employee and walked up. “Second Young Master, will you still practice today?”

Bo Yueming glanced at Pei Yi beside him and said, “Later.”

No matter how mature he pretended to be, he was only sixteen years old, after all, and the accident just now had left him with lingering fears.

The small wounds on the backs of Pei Yi’s hands had been treated. He was currently sitting in a well-behaved manner next to Bo Yueming, gazing longingly at the cupcakes on the table.

He was a little greedy, but didn’t dare take one.

Bo Yueming didn’t like sweets. He pushed a cupcake over with apparent casualness and said, “Here.”

Having broken away from his previous panic, there was a smile in Pei Yi’s eyes. “Thank you, Er-ge.”

When he heard Uncle Kai call the other party “Second Young Master,” he changed his address in the same way.

There was a rising tone at the end, making it sound sweet and cute.

Pretending to be calm, Bo Yueming moved his gaze away as a rare blush appeared on his ears.

Uncle Kai noticed this and walked to the side with great discernment. Smiling, he left space for the two children to have alone time and make friends.

Pei Yi loved the cupcake so much that he even licked up the little cake crumbs until it was gone.

Bo Yueming caught a glimpse of the cream remaining at the corner of his mouth and couldn’t help but ask, “Does it taste good?”

Pei Yi shook his head and said, “It’s not as good as my Father Rong’s.”

But compared to the low-quality cake he had eaten in the orphanage, the taste was already good, and no matter whether it tasted good or not, he couldn’t waste it.

When Pei Yi thought of Xu Rong, it was as if he had opened a chat box. “Er-ge, my Father Rong can cook anything delicious. My Father Rong is so good-looking. Every day, my Father Rong will give me……”

Halfway through the steady stream of praises, Pei Yi suddenly got stuck.

As if having remembered something important, he hurriedly picked up the canteen he had left aside, unscrewed the cap and popped out the short straw, and sucked hard and continuously.

Bo Yueming seemed like he wasn’t part of the conversation, but was actually paying attention to his every move.

Then Pei Yi stopped with a frown and muttered, “It’s over, it’s over. I really can’t drink anymore.”

“What?” Bo Yueming blurted out.

“Father Rong made flower tea water for me.” Pei Yi shook the contents of the cup lightly. “I promised to finish drinking it. What should I do?”

Having said this, he turned his beseeching eyes toward Bo Yueming, who he had just met.

“…….”

Bo Yueming met his sparkling gaze and was about to turn his eyes away in avoidance.

Who could have known that Pei Yi would pull out the straw, pour the water inside into the large-capacity thermos cap, and then carefully hand it to Bo Yueming. “Er-ge, have a drink!”

“……”

Was he giving him a drink? Or making him help drink it?

Bo Yueming didn’t expect Pei Yi to become so familiar with him. He, who usually talked very little, was actually speechless.

Pei Yi noticed his lack of response and said, “Help me drink it, please.”

Bo Yueming had some mysophobia when it came to food and was really not used to food and drink being offered to him by others. However, when he looked at the eager Pei Yi, he couldn’t say no.

He picked up a clean unused glass and poured the unexpected flower tea water into it. “Leave it for now.”

The always sensible Pei Yi noticed his perfunctory attitude and urged him in a low voice, “If you don’t like it, just give it back to me. It can’t be wasted.”

Bo Yueming knew he had been seen through, and got stuck. He reluctantly answered, “It won’t be wasted.”

Having received this response, Pei Yi picked up his canteen with a smile and took the opportunity to touch the other’s water glass. “Cheers, Er-ge!”

---

Extra 2/15 <<Table of Contents >> Extra 4/15

In the early morning, Liu Xian’an turned over in a dream and dazedly put his hand to the side, but encountered only air. He frowned and looked at the sky outside the window. There was only a thin layer of sunlight, and the drills in the distant military camp had just begun. He casually wrapped himself in a robe and opened the door, intending to question A-Ning, and bumped into someone who was hurrying about. This person was climbing over the wall without even leaving through the door, his posture like that of a burglar.

Liang Shu: “Ahem.”

He stepped forward as if nothing had happened and held his sweetheart’s shoulders, pushing him into the room as he tried to divert the topic as much as possible: “Something good has happened. You’ll be happy to hear it. We have determined the approximate landing point of the green harrier, which is Mu Zhe’s hiding place.”

“Where is it?”

“Green Jade Summit. The people of the Scimitar Silver Moon Tribe followed, and saw with their own eyes that the bird landed in the deepest part of the mountain.”

Green Jade Summit was the mountain range with the thickest miasma in the southwest. There were stretches of ancient verdant trees in all directions, with one end connected to the Valley of Ten Faces. Liang Shu had long suspected that the Baifu Sect’s lair might be there, but due to the harsh environment, it was difficult for ordinary soldiers to enter, so it had never been confirmed.

“Although the people of the Scimitar Silver Moon Tribe can freely enter and exit the dense forest, they cannot simply eradicate the Baifu Sect with just hundreds of people.” Liu Xian’an said, “Unless they can find a way for our army to move in without anyone noticing.”

Liang Shu also had the same view on this matter. The people of the Scimitar Silver Moon Tribe agreed very readily, but had made a request, hoping to cooperate with Miracle Doctor Liu. This seemed quite reasonable, because no matter how capable the Scimitar Silver Moon Tribe was, they could only find a marching route with relatively little miasma, and could not completely clear the white fog. If the army wanted to advance smoothly, a doctor would be needed to help along the way.

Liu Xian’an thought about his elder brother who had been unable to leave the house recently and took the initiative to propose, surname Liu, miracle doctor. Actually, I can do it too.

“You cannot.” Liang Shu patted his face. “Military affairs are critical, help me to persuade him. If you can persuade him, I will appeal to the emperor to give you a rare reward in the future.”

“If it is truly beneficial to the war, there is no need for me to say more. Da-ge will definitely agree, but……what if the Scimitar Silver Moon Tribe wants Da-ge to marry in?”

“Then just be perfunctory for now.” His Royal Highness Xiao Wang had no moral conscience in this regard. Not only did he lack such a thing, but he also taught his family’s lazy fellow, saying determinedly, “Even if he agrees, a wedding cannot be held immediately, right? Don’t worry about him, let’s finish the battle before discussing anything else.”

“We’ll deceive them?”

“What deception? This is called the art of speaking.” Liang Shu grasped his hair tie. “Those white-bearded old men never taught you the art of sham gestures of politeness?”

He had been taught before, but no matter how he thought about it, Liu Xian’an felt that his Da-ge had nothing to do with the word ‘scheming,’ not to mention pretending to promise to be someone’s son-in-law. Therefore, he first took his sister to the residence of the Scimitar Silver Moon Tribe to explore a bit.

As it turned out, the people of the Scimitar Silver Moon Tribe were also just thinking about it. A man is expected to marry and a girl is expected to marry. The girls in our tribe are all top-notch. Why is it that First Young Master Liu doesn’t even want to take a look at them? At least tell them, what kind of girl is he looking for?

Liu Nanyuan shook her head: “I don’t know, it’s hard to say. Da-ge has never mentioned such things.”

The woman was not willing to give in, and continued to ask, what do Second Young Master Liu and the Third Young Lady like? She thought, with three brothers and sisters from the same mother, raised together since childhood, there must be some similarities. After hearing from the second and third, the first could be figured out.

It was a pity that although the method was good, the results were very few, because the first liked a person who killed in all directions and the second liked a person who was weak and in poor health. They were thousands of li apart. Who would have expected that weakness and poor health would be a condition for choosing a spouse in Baihe Mountain Village?

Liu Nanyuan said: “Besides, there is turmoil in the southwest now and Commander Ku has been captured by the cult. Da-ge is already very upset. At this time, who would dare mention marriage in front of him? I fear that they would be severely reprimanded. If you ask me, you should wait a while until…..well, at least until……”

The woman asked: “At least until when?”

Liu Nanyuan made a calculation and said: “At least wait until the evil cult is eradicated, the world is at peace, and the common people are prosperous!”

Once the goalpost was pushed out, it should at least buy them a hundred years. Naturally, the woman objected. After bargaining with her, the last two items amounted to nothing. The first item was the only acceptable one, that once the evil cult was eradicated, Second Young Master Liu would come to their tribe as a guest.

Liu Nanyuan said reluctantly: “Then, I’ll discuss it with Da-ge.”

But Liu Xian’an on the side thought that it might not take a hundred years for the world to be at peace and the common people to be prosperous. Currently, the northwest had been settled, the east sea was stable, and northern Xinjiang was also fine. If the southwest also calmed down, then the Imperial court could concentrate on the flooding of the Baihe River……it would only take fifty years or less.

Thus, his thoughts suddenly flew to many years later, thousands of li away, where the white water beast that once roamed wildly was returned to its box and became a beautiful jade belt, watering thousands of li of fertile fields with the fragrance of flowers on both sides of the banks. He consciously put this arduous project under the name of his sweetheart, because it went without saying that the court couldn’t find many useful people at all. Even if the emperor conducted the Imperial Examination, it would still take a long time to complete the transition between younger people and the white-bearded old men in the court.

But the Baihe River could not wait, and neither could the common people.

Liu Xian’an was overwhelmed by emotion, and his thoughts wandered away from the world again, leaving only one ear to listen to his sister’s words. However, Liu Nanyuan was used to her Er-ge’s thoughts wandering off from time to time, and didn’t expect his assistance. After the matter was almost settled, she dragged him to find their elder brother.

Liu Xianche was preparing medicinal herbs in the courtyard. He raised his head and asked, “What is it?”

“I say, those people from the Scimitar Silver Moon Tribe are quite easy to talk to. They have promised to wait until the battle in the southwest is over before inviting Da-ge to the dense forest as a guest.” Liu Nanyuan said crisply, “I consented, la!”

Liu Xianche scowled: “Nonsense!”

“It’s only as a guest, why are you being so stingy? And since it’s been discussed now, this saves Da-ge from being unable to leave the house these days,” Liu Nanyuan said. “Then it’s settled. Me and Er-ge still have something to do, so we’ll go on ahead.”

Having spoken, she picked up this person and ran away. Liu Xian’an couldn’t keep up, and asked breathlessly, “What else do we have to do?”

“Nothing, ah, but would you rather stay there and be beaten again? Anyway, the matter has been agreed to, and we must run away quickly.”

Liu Xian’an: “This makes sense!”

It could be seen that the lazy fellow’s lifetime of wisdom was indeed inferior to his younger sister’s when it came to dealing with their elder brother.

Liang Shu asked: “Have you appeased them well?”

Liu Xian’an nodded. They were appeased, but it was not me who appeased them, I was in a daze at the time.

Liang Shu laughed in spite of himself and said, “Why were you in a daze? Tell me.”

“I was thinking about the Baihe River.” Liu Xian’an took a seat on a chair. “Whether it was changing its route or the things that must be done at different stages, I got distracted without even realizing it.”

Liang Shu was slightly surprised, and leaned over to look at him: “Why did you think of such a thing out of nowhere?”

“Because after matters in the southwest are resolved, it will be the Baihe River’s turn. There is no harm in thinking about it earlier.”

Liang Shu didn’t know what to say for a moment, and said after a while: “Thank you for your hard work while following me.”

Liu Xian’an didn’t think he was working hard, or at least he could only feel the physical fatigue. As for the mental exertion, whether he was laying in the waterside pavilion, in the southwest now, or in Baihe in the future, he was destined to be extremely busy and without rest, so he didn’t actually feel much difference.

Liang Shu crouched in front of him and lay his head on his knees: “Hug for a while.”

Liu Xian’an gently rubbed the back of his head with the palm of his hand, and hugged this person who was originally cold and hard. It was as if they were already very old and watching the fire without any worries, warm and soft.

The war was coming soon.

The tense atmosphere spread throughout the Valley of Ten Faces and into the dense forest.

A silver-haired young man sat in front of a mirror. He looked at his face with satisfaction, then turned around and asked: “What does the leader think?”

Mu Zhe said: “If Island Master Yuan closes his eyes, even Liang Shu won’t be able to detect any flaws right away.”

Yuan Yu covered his eyes with gauze: “Leader Mu, don’t forget what you promised me.”

Me Zhe regarded the fake in front of him that was almost like the original Ku You, nodding as he said: “She will be sent to Island Master Yuan’s room tonight.”

Yuan Yu laughed and slowly ran his fingers through his silver hair: “Then it seems I must keep this face for one more night.”

Having received his promise, he walked out with satisfaction.

Feng Xiaojin walked past him, wearing a silver mask.

Although the other party had copied Ku You’s appearance, and even his clothes were almost the same, the smell of the mask’s rubber on his body was disgusting, like a ball of rotten pork that had been exposed to the sun for a long time.

Feng Xiaojin suppressed his discomfort and pushed open the door with a bang, causing a cloud of dust to rise in the sunlight.

Mu Zhe didn’t care much about his impoliteness, and didn’t even raise his head. He continued to look at the terrain map in his hands and asked: “What did you hear?”

“That you’re giving A-Le to the man just now.”

“She is the Holy Maiden of the Baifu Sect, and should do things for the Baifu Sect. Whether she is held up on a high platform and sought after by others, or is given as a gift, this is a responsibility that she cannot shirk.” Mu Zhe closed the map, stood up, and walked to him. “You understand, right?”

Feng Xiaojin asked: “What if I don’t agree?”

“Then I have conditions.” Mu Zhe looked at him. “Give me a promise, and I can let her go this time. I will give Island Master Mu a large sum of wealth, enough to make him give up A-Le of his own initiative.”

Feng Xiaojin frowned: “Who do you want me to kill this time? Liang Shu?”

“No.” Mu Zhe shook his head. “It has nothing to do with killing. I want to see her again.”

He raised his hand and slowly pressed against the cold silver mask with his thumb, attempting to get a feeling of warmth from it: “Let me see her again.”

The person under the mask paid no attention to his pious recollections, and just said expressionlessly: “Okay.”

. . . . . . . .

Liu Xian’an hung maps all over the room and used different-colored brushes to draw different-colored lines.

A-Ning was a little dizzy, and asked: “What is this?”

Liu Xian’an said: “The Baihe River’s diversion route.”

“Then what about this?”

“The scope of the common people’s migration.”

“And this?”

“The route back to the capital city. It’s a bit of a detour, but I want to go to Chunhui City to see the flowers.”

A-Ning honestly commented on the huge circle, it is nothing like a “slight detour.” It will take at least three more months of travel.

“But the prince didn’t put forth any opinions, so it should be feasible.”

A-Ning murmured inwardly, of course the prince would not have any opinion. Even if the young master says he wants to go to the heavens, the prince will help him build a ladder, let alone just travel a few more months.

He had recently been thinking about whether to truthfully report to the Village Master everything that the prince had done to his son. Logically speaking, he should write a letter to inform him, because the prince spoiled him exceptionally and obeyed his orders very well. If he wanted the stars, he would not give him the moon, but the problem also lay herein. It had become too much, reaching a truly unbelievable level. If it were in a history book, historians may scold him for dozens of pages.

If the Village Master and his wife knew about it, they would most likely not be at ease and would only grow more worried about whether this lazy fellow would become even lazier.

A-Ning sighed deeply.

I must rack my brains to write a letter home. This is truly bitter work for me.

---

Chapter One Hundred Nine << Table of Contents >> Chapter One Hundred Eleven

Most of the residential buildings in the old city did not have elevators, and there was some junk piled in the corridors. The corners of the cement steps had become smooth, exposing the steel bars inside.

The intermediary leading the way explained enthusiastically: “Mr. Lu, although the environment of this community is a bit old, the property management here is quite responsible. The greenery downstairs is good and there is no peculiar smell in the corridors. It’s only a fifteen-minute walk from Hengjin Secondary School. If you like this apartment, you must book it as soon as possible. It is quite popular for students who don’t live on campus to rent an apartment here.”

After saying this, he reached up to wipe his sweat and looked back at the young man following him.

This young man had a clean and delicate appearance, and his round eyes made him look a bit boyish. He had an easy-to-handle appearance, but once you got to know him, you would find that he was not the sort of character who could be coaxed with just a few nice words.

Sure enough, when he turned around, he saw the boy frowning.

Lu Qi was not dissatisfied with the conditions of the apartment, but he was a little disgusted when he heard the word “Hengjin.” This private secondary school was probably the property of Lin Yuan and his family, but he would not give up an apartment with suitable conditions just because of this.

He was very satisfied with the apartment. It was small, with one bedroom and a living room, recently renovated and with good orientation. The midday sun shined directly from the balcony and fell directly onto the light-colored floor, warming the small living room.

Because it had been renovated, the price was a bit more expensive than other apartments in the community, but it was still within an acceptable range. It was the most satisfactory apartment he had seen in the past two days.

Lu Qi encountered some trouble when he was signing the contract and preparing to transfer the money. He found that his WeChat account had been hacked. He had been looking at apartments all morning and didn’t know how long ago his account had been stolen. Fortunately, there was no loss after the account was recovered.

He went to the hotel to grab his luggage and then went to the supermarket. When he returned with his things, he found that the door to the opposite room was open and a worker was installing lamps.

Lu Qi couldn’t help but take a second look, because the neighbor opposite was really installing a lot of lamps. There was an uninstalled parchment wall lamp at the door, and further inside was the unassembled main lamp, as well as various small lamp shades set in foam, which looked like small cups if not looked at carefully.

The worker was still changing the circuits in the apartment, which was a bit noisy. When the worker saw him standing at the opposite door, he immediately raised his head and gave an honest smile. “Don’t worry, the boss said there is to be no construction after six o’clock in order to let children concentrate on their homework and do more practice questions.”

Lu Qi: ……

Yes, the boss was quite considerate. All the children in the building thanked him.

The layout of the other room wasn’t good, and there was insufficient lighting. Although the room was dark, there wasn’t a need to install so many lights. It was like a small lighting exhibition.

But it was someone else’s business, after all. Perhaps the other person sold lamps?

Lu Qi only hoped that the lamp owner would be a quiet neighbor.

He was too tired after cleaning the apartment, so he ordered takeout for dinner. He sat on the sofa in the living room and turned on the projector to watch a movie.

In the meantime, he also hung up several calls from Lin Yuan and dragged the scumbag’s number to the blacklist.

He didn’t know what Young Master Lin was thinking. He didn’t want a room full of professional substitutes, but had to pester him, an amateur.

In two days, Young Master Lin would no longer remember who he was, just like he himself finally threw that painting into the trash can and resolved never to pick up anything from the trash again.

. . . . . . .

The next day was a nice, sunny day.

Lu Qi slept in and took out his tablet at noon, preparing to make a small amount of money.

His current main source of income was accepting some drawing requests on a “commission” platform, and occasionally accepting commercial drafts. The doctor’s advice was for him to recuperate for a year and avoid overworking himself, so Lu Qi decided to join the postgraduate entrance examination next year.

Fortunately, he started making money by accepting commissions in his second year of university. He still had a small amount of savings and regular Party A daddies.^[1]

Most of these Party A daddies were cute and eccentric young ladies. He had done a painting that stood out before. It was a warrior with half his body modified by cybernetics, lying on his back among rose bushes. The unmodified right half of his body was wearing a tight-fitting black combat uniform that wrapped up to his neck. The half-closed mechanical prosthetic eye revealed a light blue halo, and there was a bright rose petal between his lips.

Not long after this image appeared in the circle, a young lady poked him and expressed that she wanted an image in a similar style, but the other half did not require clothing.

Lu Qi: ……

She’s paying so much. It’s okay if I don’t draw these clothes.

The young lady must have had a group of like-minded people, because soon, Lu Qi got all kinds of requests for similar aesthetics.

There were nearly twenty commission messages piled up on the platform, and a small part had expired and turned gray. Lu Qi chose a thoughtful one, and after negotiating with the other party, he began to do line drawings in the afternoon.

Fans had asked him about his tablet-drawing skills on Weibo before. He answered them seriously one by one in the comment area, and later even started a live broadcast.

It was initially just to answer everyone’s questions, and he didn’t show his face. The image on the tablet was synchronized — at least, the part of the erotic image that could be broadcasted.

But it still caused his ex-boyfriend to be dissatisfied. The reason was that during one of Lu Qi’s live broadcasts, a fan joked: Wife, your voice sounds nice.

Lin Yuan was angry and told Lu Qi not to live broadcast in the future.

Lu Qi didn’t understand, but in consideration of his feelings, he reduced the number of live broadcasts. It had been more than a month since he had done any.

Today was a working day, and not many people entered the live broadcast room. The barrage was all, “Wife, you finally remembered the password.” Lu Qi greeted everyone and started his line drawing.

Several familiar IDs appeared, and the barrage suddenly became very lively.

[The level of my wife’s skills in one sentence: this line drawing took away my pants.]

[Sister, it’s cold, please wear some clothes.]

[It is disrespectful to my wife to walk out of the live broadcast room wearing pants.]

Lu Qi: ……

He pursed his lower lip and whispered hello: “Long time no see. Everyone is still so…..so lively.”

The barrage cleared for a moment, and a string of “haha” popped up in the next second.

[I want to change my name to lively erotica.]

[What we’re saying is that we don’t know how to portray erotica, and you don’t have to portray it.]

[For such a good wife to post dirty images, is it Party A’s perversion or a lack of money?]

The toes hidden in his slippers couldn’t help but curl up. Lu Qi was a little embarrassed, but indeed felt that everyone was very lively, like a group of chirping little sparrows. As soon as those flowing words appeared, his depressed mood immediately lifted. 

In the morning, he planned to draw the first version of the line drawing and show it to the Party A daddy.

The barrage in the live broadcast was still growing. Lu Qi glanced at it and suddenly saw a few strange messages. 

[Hehe your wife is a loser outside, did you know that?]

[@90° Right Angle Bend, turn the corner and come hammer him quickly, this guy who volunteered to be a third party still has the nerve to broadcast live.]

[Do you dare to say what you said to Right Angle to your friends in the live broadcast room?]

[Shameless, shameless, shameless.]

[Mistress, mistress, mistress]

There were more and more barrages like this, and others began to ask questions. Lu Qi stopped drawing and frowned for a moment: “90° Right Angle? He did make an appointment with me, but I don’t understand what you’re talking about?”

Lu Qi’s fans didn’t understand, but they automatically protected him. They began to fight back aggressively, and the entire communication area suddenly became a mess, with a series of red account ban warnings jumping out.

He had never witnessed such a scene before. The hand holding the pen paused for a long time, then he adjusted the headset’s microphone and asked in a low voice: “Can someone explain? Even if I get scolded, I have to understand it clearly, right?”

The tone of his inquiry was neither urgent nor slow, still gentle and polite, like the breeze of early autumn soothing the heat of summer. The barrage even cleared for a moment.

[Wife, you don’t have to be so polite.]

[Baby, you’re so good, you’re at a disadvantage.]

[Vomit~ He’s really good at pretending. Providing directions to the comment area, fans should also go see what your “good baby” is like behind the scenes.]

Lu Qi told his fans that he would see them in the next live broadcast, then exited and found a video link in the comment area.

90° Right Angle Bend was originally the host of a game channel, broadcasting some horror decryption games. It was lukewarm at first, with some fans who just liked him for his good looks, and it wasn’t until later that he came out as gay and appeared on a live broadcast with his boyfriend. Both of them had clean and delicate eye-catching looks. They interacted with each other and sprinkled sugar during live broadcasts, and the number of fans increased explosively.

Right Angle rarely posted game broadcasts these days. The videos uploaded were of the two people traveling to visit stores and some daily vlogs.

Some time ago, he made an appointment with Lu Qi to design an anime image of him and his boyfriend based on a horror game from a few years ago. Right Angle said that they would be printed into posters and distributed to fans as raffle prizes.

The drafting process went smoothly, and Right Angle was very satisfied with the finished product. After that, he and Lu Qi had no interaction.

So, was there any misunderstanding here?

However, when he saw the title of the video posted by 90° Right Angle Bend, Lu Qi was stunned.

[Check out the outrageous harassment I’ve received as a gay over the years]

Lu Qi: ? ? ?

The title seemed to have nothing to do with him. Was there some misunderstanding?

At the beginning of the video, Right Angle talked about some strange things he encountered while studying in university, including socks given to him by an athlete and a taxi driver who touched his thigh and praised him for being durable…..

Lu Qi hadn’t heard the important points, so he turned up the volume and went to the refrigerator to get a piece of watermelon to eat. Once he had eaten half of it, the handsome boy in the video talked about the fourth thing.

“A few days ago, I made an appointment for a drawing of me and Honey Bear. I had also heard some messy things about the painting circle, so I thought to find a well-known wife, ba. Then I found a wife with a million fans…..”

Lu Qi: ……

That sounded like him.

“Guess what happened, babes? Ai! Let me show you the chat history.”

Next was a screenshot of the chat history.

[Gege, you know so much? Do you usually like this position?]

. . .

[Do you want your waist to be so soft? It’s hard to find in the real world, Gege. [shy]]

. . .

[Are you kidding me, Gege? It’s fun to chat with you during your live broadcast. Are you usually such a prude?”]

This painter’s words were not only unprofessional, but also very vulgar. Even reading the screenshots made people feel extremely uncomfortable. The barrage was full of curses, and Lu Qi also felt that this person really spoiled the atmosphere.

At the end of the screenshot, either intentionally or unintentionally, most of the other party’s WeChat profile picture was exposed. In that small square was a purple-blue sea of stars.

The melon in Lu Qi’s hand fell with a plop.

Without even knowing it, he had harassed a different boy?!

After much deliberation, this kind of accident could have only happened when his WeChat account was attacked yesterday. He took out his mobile phone and searched through his contacts, but couldn’t find Right Angle, so Lu Qi sent a private message on Bilibili to explain that his account had been stolen.

Right Angle did not reply.

The number of comments on his video had doubled, and the comment with the most likes was at the top. Someone had figured out from Right Angle flashing that avatar that it was Lu Qi’s original work.

[@LUDeer,^[2] is that you? You should come out and say it since you were brave enough to harass others, ah]

Someone replied below:

[Hehe, of course this kind of person only dares to do such a thing secretly. Like a rat in the gutter, of course he doesn’t dare come out to fight]

There were also fans of Lu Qi who heard the news and fiercely retorted: 

[Want to Trade a Moon: Just based on a sea of stars avatar, how can he be identified as Deer God? Anyone can use it, ah]

[Ethereal: I made an appointment for an adult work and wife Xiao Lu was very patient and polite.]

[Yes It’s Meat Meat Eh: Right, ah. And he’s experienced and knowledgeable, what request hasn’t he seen before? Why would he suddenly be attracted by such a mediocre aesthetic? That’s not to say that this behavior shouldn’t be condemned, it absolutely should be! But we should figure out if it’s him, ba]

[Serendipity replied @Yes It’s Meat Meat Eh: Fuck, what you said makes sense]

[Nine Centimeters of Fog: I can’t help but laugh. What does this have to do with knowledge? Is there a possibility that he’s a male bitch and has no feelings for you women? Of course he won’t flirt with you, but can’t control himself when he sees someone who’s bent]

Later in the comments, someone scolded Lu Qi’s fans for being shameless.

Someone was obviously setting the pace in the comment area, saying it was just a joke, while others attacked Right Angle’s sexual orientation. These comments seemed to be speaking for Lu Qi, but in fact only amplified the contradiction and made Right Angle’s fans even angrier.

Lu Qi waited for an hour, but there was still no reply from Right Angle. On the contrary, his number of private messages seemed to soar. He clicked on them and took a quick look. The words “pervert” and “depraved” took up more than half the screen.

Some fans were also asking him to explain this matter.

Lu Qi still hoped to communicate with Right Angle privately, so that both parties could explain that this was a misunderstanding. Although Right Angle had the wrong person, he was indeed being harassed. It was possible that he did not calmly verify due to his anger.

He waited until night, and Right Angle didn’t reply to his private message.

At this time, Lu Qi’s Weibo and the comment section of Bilibili had fallen into enemy hands, and he couldn’t even read his private messages.

Then, the issue of sexual harassment suddenly appeared on the hot search list, ranking in ninth place, neither high nor low.

Lu Qi: ……

It was strange. Really a bit strange.

It should be known that eighth place was a popular youth whose relationship was exposed. How could he be in the hot search shoulder to shoulder with this youth?

If he couldn’t figure out who was causing this trouble, his university entrance examination results would be in vain.

Lu Qi frowned, picked Lin Yuan’s phone number out of the blacklist like picking up trash, and dialed the number.

There was only one ring before the call was quickly picked up.

“Xiao Qi…..”

“What do you want to do?” Lu Qi took a deep breath. “You stole my account? You created the hot search?”

There was a rustling sound. Lin Yuan seemed to have gone to a quieter place. He said: “I wanted to make you take the initiative to call me.”

This person was not in front of Lu Qi, otherwise he would really want to smack him on the head.

“Lin Yuan, I regret it,” Lu Qi said while grinding his teeth.

Lin Yuan perked up: “You regret breaking up? It doesn’t matter, it’s just good that you figured it out. Where are you? I’ll go now…..”

“I regret not kicking you in the head!” Lu Qi quickly searched the internet for how to curse people, and chose the shortest sentence. He read it word by word very earnestly: “Fuck your uncle! You dog!”

Lin Yuan: ……

Lu Qi heard Lin Yuan laugh, and suddenly felt that he must be mentally ill. He also thought of a joke often used in the comment area: why are you rewarding him? 

Lu Qi: ……

This guy was really abnormal.

He hung up the phone and directly called the police.

---

[1] Party A daddies = a joking way to refer to his commission sponsors. ⮐

[2] This is written as LU鹿, where 鹿 means ‘deer,’ pronounced ‘lù.’ Which makes his screenname “Deer deer or LU Deer.” ⮐

---

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Chapter Three << Table of Contents >> Chapter Five

Liu Zhenqing was very happy after being naughty, and seeing that Huo Fenglie displayed no abnormalities, he was even more satisfied.

In fact, after leaving the capital, Liu Zhenqing began to be free and undisciplined. That was to say, he simply smashed the cracked pot, thinking very clearly that it was too tiring to be tense all day and night. Moreover, Huo Fenglie didn’t know what Liu Xiaozhu was like originally. Who could say that he wasn’t originally like this? In fact, the time he spent with Huo Fenglie in his previous life was really not that long, not as long as he spent with Yuan Jue in the palace. Liu Zhenqing felt that the only people who could recognize him through simple interactions were Huo Feihan and Li Xingruo. Even if Er-gou was clever and saw the clues, he would only be suspicious at best. This brought him back to the old matter. If there was suspicion, everything could be explained as coincidence. If he refused to admit it, could the other party still pull out his soul?

The most important thing was that Huo Fenglie had the Emperor’s orders now and was in charge of this mission. The task was very heavy, and manpower could not be deployed at just any time. It was impossible to seal off a city as easily as the capital. So if Liu Zhenqing discovered that something was wrong, he would find an opportunity to flee without a trace. It couldn’t be easier. So why bother being strict with himself now?

From the moment he was taken out of the capital, the choice was already in Liu Zhenqing’s hands.

Liu Zhenqing crouched on the carriage, smiling at the bandits who were beaten and wailing on the ground. “I said I wouldn’t beat you if you paid.”

Huo Fenglie had ended the battle without even unsheathing his sword. Currently, he was looking down at the leader as if holding a knife to his throat.

The big man had one eye, which was swollen. At this moment, he could only blink hard to focus, which made it look like he was constantly winking at someone. Liu Zhenqing’s laughter almost caused him to roll off the carriage.

“Heroes, please spare our lives. It is our fault that we failed to recognize great people.”

After saying this, he actually offered money.

Looking at the scraps of silver he took out, how rich did he think he was? Yet this was the result.

When Liu Zhenqing saw this, he expressed his dissatisfaction with this robbery. “Hey, you’re only at this level? And the government can’t take you down?”

This was too ridiculous.

“There must be something wrong with the government.” This was the simplest possibility that Liu Zhenqing could think of.

Hearing this, everyone quickly shook their heads.

One Eye said: “These two gentlemen, we really know we were wrong. We came out to rob people because we’re hungry and have no choice. We were all good citizens, but were forced to become bandits not long ago. And we also took advantage of the opportunity, thinking of grabbing a bit of mountaintop before we lost the chance to other big bandits.”

“Yo, listen to this. There is more than one group waiting to rob people?” Liu Zhenqing said in surprise: “So many people in your region are bandits?”

“Isn’t this because we have no choice?”

Liu Zhenqing had experience in this regard. A large number of good people had turned into bandits, which proved that the disaster relief problem here was truly not small. It should be known that it was very difficult for good people to turn into mobs. Unless a large number of people were about to starve to death, no one was willing to go to such lengths.

Just as he was thinking, Huo Fenglie suddenly turned to look at him as if asking how he wanted to deal with such bandits.

There was a flash of lightning in the sky, and dark clouds began to gather. It was going to rain.

Liu Zhenqing skewed his eyes: “Find a place for us to shelter from the rain, and wait for it to stop before sending us to the city ahead. Since you’re all bandits, you should know the safe paths.”

Although Huo Fenglie was not afraid of bandits big or small, it would be troublesome to be constantly delayed like this.

“As long as we are sent away smoothly, your lives will be spared.” After saying this, Liu Zhenqing glanced at Huo Fenglie, who nodded in agreement.

Hearing what Liu Zhenqing said, the bandits immediately burst into tears of joy and helped each other up to lead the way.

Very soon, heavy rain fell and they arrived at a dilapidated house in the mountains.

The place was desolate, like a haunted house. They heard barking as soon as they drew near, and a big yellow dog came out to greet them. The carriage stopped directly at the house so that he wouldn’t get caught in the rain when leaving the carriage, but when Huo Fenglie helped him out, Liu Zhenqing’s shoulders still seemed to get wet.

Huo Fenglie blocked part of the slanting wind and rain for him.

When the big yellow dog saw strangers, it immediately bared its teeth at the two of them. Huo Fenglie just glanced at it with a frown. The big yellow dog lay down on the ground at once and wagged its tail in an intimidated manner.

Just as Liu Zhenqing was thinking that this was a very smart dog, he saw One Eye beside him nervously step forward to kick the dog away, shouting: “Er-gou, scram! Don’t disturb the distinguished guests!”

Huo Fenglie froze.

Liu Zhenqing was startled, and almost lost his balance. He looked at One Eye, who quickly apologized. “It’s a guard dog we keep at home, it won’t bite people casually.”

“No, no, no, what did you call him?”

“Er…..Er-gou, ah.”

Liu Zhenqing worked very hard to hold back his laughter, suppressing it so hard that his shoulders hunched. When he turned around, he saw that Huo Fenglie’s face was dark.

Liu Zhenqing quickly used a series of coughs to cover his burst of laughter.

“Very good, this is a very clever dog.”

As they were talking, they saw nervous-looking women and children hiding in the corner and watching them.

Looking at their shabby clothes and sallow complexions, they were indeed not living a good life.

“Don’t be afraid, these two are just taking shelter from the rain,” One Eye said.

Finally, a child ran out and said, “Dad, weren’t you going out to rob?”

One Eye immediately covered his son’s mouth.

“Husband, your face…..” A woman stepped forward to fuss over him.

“It’s fine, it’s fine.” One Eye smiled innocently, but still had the aura of a bandit.

At this moment, Liu Zhenqing saw things clearly. These bandits had brought them directly to their lair. They were obviously honest people and were not afraid at all that they were government officials sent to catch them.

Now, they treated them politely due to fear, boiling hot water and serving them gruel.

Liu Zhenqing did not fear that they would be drugged. He could pretty much smell all the simple drugs available on the market, so he drank the water he was handed as soon as he smelled it.

Huo Fenglie saw him drinking and drank too. Liu Zhenqing also ordered the coachman to distribute the dry food in the carriage to the people here.

The women and children came forward in droves, and the tense atmosphere just now became lively. Now they thanked them non-stop, thinking that they were good people.

Huo Fenglie also did not squander the situation that Liu Zhenqing had arranged for him. Very soon, he began to ask why there were so many bandits here.

In fact, it was nothing more than that the previous autumn floods and the subsequent blizzards were not managed very well, and there was no disaster relief in place, forcing many people to go astray.

However, Huo Fenglie clearly remembered that Yuan Jue had allocated a large amount of disaster relief funds, but now there were still refugees who had become homeless mobs. This proved that the local officials responsible for disaster relief must have neglected their duties and embezzled the funds. It was just that this region had always been like this, with their accounts in shambles, so they could always find a reason to leave the capital city with nothing to say. No matter which officials were replaced, the final result would still be the same. This was the most troublesome place.

One Eye also spoke for the other bandits at this time.

“Actually, most of the bandits take money but don’t hurt anyone. It’s just that there isn’t much to eat this spring and it’s difficult to catch animals in the mountains, so we can only steal.”

“The government doesn’t care that there are so many bandits?” Huo Fenglie asked with a frown.

“As long as we don’t make trouble in the heart of the prefecture’s central government or on the fringe, they won’t waste their energy on us small bandits. Everyone knows this, so they don’t go too far, and just want to survive.”

“Then if they govern well, will you still be willing to go back and be good citizens?” Liu Zhenqing asked. He recalled that he had set up relevant policies for this situation in the past. As long as they had never killed anyone, they would be dealt with lightly.

One Eye shook his head and said: “We won’t go back.”

Liu Zhenqing was puzzled.

Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly saw the little boy run over happily with an outstretched hand. He gave something to Huo Fenglie, seemingly as a return gift for the dry food and cakes.

But when Liu Zhenqing and Huo Fenglie saw this thing, they couldn’t help but be stunned.

Wasn’t this the same thing the kid at the teahouse had? It was an irregular circle made of small wooden sticks, with seven or eight points across the middle and a longer stick underneath that would be held and played with.

Before he could take a look, he saw One Eye suddenly become very angry. He snatched it away, crushed it on the spot, and yelled at his son. The sound alarmed his wife. When she ran over to take a look, her expression changed and she picked up her son to go inside, spanking him as she went.

When One Eye sat down and saw both of them looking at him, he returned to his senses and quickly apologized.

“Actually, that isn’t a good thing. It is given out to children by the Heaven’s Blessing Sect when they promote their doctrine. It is their symbol.”

“Heaven’s Blessing Sect?” Huo Fenglie frowned and said, “Private development of this kind of sect is prohibited in the Great Zhou Dynasty. It must go through an official review.”

“Right, ah, but the officials are their regular customers. As long as you join them, it seems you can have enough to eat and drink, and live a wealthy life. In any case, there are a lot of people who believe in them, but we do not. In our opinion, the Heaven’s Blessing Sect is simply unreasonable. They claimed that our land had good Feng Shui and simply snatched it away, saying that it would benefit our future generations. We are all starving to death, and they still bring up future generations, ah. The government doesn’t care, and says that it is our blessing. Who wants this kind of blessing?”

This One Eye was not easily fooled.

“They directly encroached on your fields and you didn’t sue?” Huo Fenglie asked.

“The top officials didn’t care, and wrote a lot of things that we couldn’t understand. We are illiterate, so we couldn’t parse the twists and turns. We fought to the end, but turned into a desperate mob, and our families were beaten and driven out. So there is no home for us to go back to, ah. Even if the disaster ends, it’s useless. We can only flee and become bandits.”

Huo Fenglie was silent as he listened. A general like him was unbeatable on the battlefield, but probably had no experience facing this type of thing.

But such a sect appearing in the hardest-hit areas to openly bully the common people was not a good thing.

“Gentlemen, don’t be angry. My son was also brainwashed into thinking that the sect can protect people, so he gave that to you,” One Eye said cautiously.

“It’s nothing,” Liu Zhenqing said with a smile. “However, we are rather curious about this sect. In order for us to avoid getting into trouble when we leave later, how about you tell us everything you know.”

Hearing this, One Eye recalled carefully.

In fact, this Heaven’s Blessing Sect had been around for several years, and in the past two or three years, it had begun to gradually grow. It was no longer shrouded in mystery, and would openly recruit members, all of whom were strong young men or beautiful young women. And they were all required to cut off contact with their families. Some people left and never came back, but money and food would be sent back, proving that they were still alive.

The government had a good relationship with them, and claimed that they helped stabilize the moods of the victims and pray for disaster relief. Therefore, if there were any local sects or powerful wealthy merchants who disliked them, the government would protect them. Over time, the government and the Heaven’s Blessing Sect had the final say in these lands.

Moreover, the Heaven’s Blessing Sect was very powerful, and the people who joined the cult were basically brainwashed. The followers believed in them and followed their teachings.

Liu Zhenqing and Huo Fenglie listened for a long time, feeling that this Heaven’s Blessing Sect was not simple, and that they were very likely in collusion with the government. When the government developed sects, it became a serious problem.

Just as they were thinking, they suddenly heard One Eye lament, “Our lands being in this state is actually the fault of that treacherous Prime Minister Liu!”

Liu Zhenqing almost choked to death on his own saliva. It wasn’t fair. He had been dead for so long, so how could this be blamed on him?

“If he hadn’t committed crimes and allowed corrupt officials to ruin our region, then those official sects would not take advantage of our weaknesses to harm us now. Perhaps our lands would gradually improve under the current emperor’s governance. How could the situation be so miserable, ah?”

Eh. Liu Zhenqing felt stifled for a moment.

And One Eye, who was about to continue complaining, suddenly froze and looked nervously in Huo Fenglie’s direction.

Liu Zhenqing glanced over and saw that Huo Fenglie’s expression had darkened, and he was looking at One Eye unkindly.

One Eye couldn’t withstand his imposing manner and was so frightened that he kept backing away.

Liu Zhenqing could only say: “He doesn’t like to hear such things. You go back and rest until the rain stops.”

One Eye left quickly.

Under the eaves of the desolate house, the two of them sat on dry straw and leaned against the mottled wall, watching the rain patter. The mood was low, and neither of them spoke for a while.

The sound of two sudden barks caught Liu Zhenqing’s imagination.

His originally dull mood suddenly lifted, and he saw that Huo Fenglie still had his head lowered and his eyes down, seemingly in a bad mood.

Liu Zhenqing raised his eyebrows, gave a wicked smile, and called out at once: “Er-gou, come to gege.”

Huo Fenglie froze and immediately turned to look at Liu Zhenqing, only to see Liu Zhenqing tutting at the big yellow dog opposite him with a smile on his face, making coaxing sounds.

He didn’t know if the dog was just going along with it or because Liu Zhenqing naturally attracted dogs, but as soon as it was coaxed, the dog came over and lay down obediently. It let Liu Zhenqing rub its head, continuously wagging its tail.

“Good boy, ah. Er-gou, come and let me rub your ears.” Liu Zhenqing teased the dog with a smile, calling out to two Er-gou’s at the same time as he secretly glanced at the stiff Huo Fenglie.

Seeing his unhappy face and displeased eyes staring at the big yellow dog, Liu Zhenqing laughed like crazy inside.

“Come, Er-gou, let gege see if you’re a male or a female.” Liu Zhenqing went to lift the dog’s leg. “Ya, a male!”

Huo Fenglie seemed to have gone blind.

In the end, Liu Zhenqing stretched out his hands to hug the big yellow dog. “Come, Er-gou, let gege hug you and give you a kiss.”

It seemed this person couldn’t bear it anymore, and Liu Zhenqing and the big yellow dog were pulled apart.

Liu Zhenqing regarded Huo Fenglie with an innocent look on his face. “What, do you want to play with Er-gou too?”

Huo Fenglie looked at him with the same expression as when they were in the hot spring pool, sulking as if he had been bullied but was holding in his grievances. Pretending to be calm, he said: “Don’t touch it. It’s dirty.”

Seeing that this Er-gou in front of him couldn’t take it any more, Liu Zhenqing was happy enough and finally let him off.

With such a commotion, it seemed that even the heavy curtain of rain had turned into cheerful pattering music. The rain soon stopped, and as agreed, One Eye took them on a shortcut that bypassed the other bandits, and they arrived near the city. When he saw the city gate, One Eye didn’t see them off.

Huo Fenglie gave him some silver and asked him to go somewhere farther away to make a living, or wait for news here.

He didn’t know what waiting for news meant, but still made a mental note and thanked them continuously.

“Don’t thank us.” Liu Zhenqing said with a smile, “If you really want to thank us, then…..take good care of Er-gou.”

Huo Fenglie glanced at Liu Zhenqing.

One Eye also looked at him with a blank expression. Liu Zhenqing smiled brightly and said: “I like Er-gou very much. I’ve fallen in love with him.”

Huo Fenglie’s expression changed slightly and he turned his head to look toward the other side.

Once One Eye had left, their carriage slowly drove into the largest county in Yanqiu Prefecture, which was also the seat of the Heaven’s Blessing Sect.

---

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Chapter Thirty-Five << Table of Contents >> Chapter Thirty-Seven

The car stopped outside the Imperial Capital’s top private racecourse, and a coach immediately came up to greet them, tapping twice on the window.

Wearing an equestrian uniform, Pei Yi opened the door in a well-behaved manner and said, “Good morning, coach Gao.”

Coach Gao welcomed him with a smile, and then exchanged friendly glances with Zong Baiyan and Xu Rong in the front row.

Zong Baiyan looked at his child and said, “Xiao Yi, you have lunch with Coach Gao and the others at noon. Father Yan won’t train with you today because he has something to do, but we’ll pick you up on time at three o’clock in the afternoon.”

He had been told this countless times on the way here.

Pei Yi nodded. “I know.”

Xu Rong had always doted on Pei Yi, and simply got out of the car.

He slung a cute cartoon canteen across his body and held his child’s little face. “Xiao Yi, you must finish the warm water in the canteen. Father Rong will check it when you get home.

Pei Yi said “Oh” obediently.

Xu Rong added, “When we get home in the evening, Father Rong will make you a small cake to eat. Okay?”

When Pei Yi heard the dessert he liked, he immediately smiled and said, “En!”

Xu Rong touched his head, his gentle tone unchanging. “Good boy, go ahead. Don’t keep Coach Gao and the others waiting. You’re already more than ten minutes late today.”

When Pei Yi heard that last sentence, he blushed with inexplicable shyness. 

He glanced at Zong Baiyan in the car covertly, then said in a cute tone, “It’s all Father Yan’s fault.”

“…….”

Betrayed by his own child, Zong Baiyan thought he heard something wrong and asked in surprise, “Who are you talking about?”

Pei Yi didn’t answer. He grabbed his small canteen and ran so fast that even Coach Gao was left behind, and could only hurry to catch up.

When Zong Baiyan saw Pei Yi’s lively running back, he was both angry and amused. “Is this brat getting more and more bold?”

Xu Rong replied, “Is it bad to be bold and lively? Think about when he was just adopted and came home with us?”

Pei Yi, who had grown up in an orphanage, had been short and thin since he was a young child. He had an introverted personality and didn’t like to talk.

They had originally wanted Pei Yi to change his surname, but the other party was stubborn and refused. After asking about it, they found out that the name was given to him by the former dean. 

In Zong Baiyan and Xu Rong’s view, a child’s identity was not determined by blood or surname, so they didn’t force Pei Yi to change his surname.

The couple doted on Pei Yi for nearly three years until his physical state was up to standard, and his temperament became cheerful and lively.

Xu Rong watched Pei Yi disappear around the corner, and then looked at his lover. “You used to practice riding with him. Why do you need to accompany me today?”

Zong Baiyan took his hand and kissed it, a hint of darkness in his eyes as he lowered them. “I just want to be with you.”

Having lost him and regained him, he cherished him more and didn’t want to take even half a step away from him.

Xu Rong added, “I have to supervise several students’ graduation projects today. It might be boring for you to hang around me.”

“Professor Xu is the most charming when he is working hard. I’ll never be bored,” Zong Baiyan responded with a smile.

In fact, he had been waiting for this moment.

Now that there was a chance to start over in life, he certainly hoped that all the evil would be eradicated at its source.

Zong Baiyan started the car. “Let’s go, I’ll take you to the university.”

Xu Rong could do nothing about his lover’s insistence. He just thought that he was still frightened by the nightmare, so he had no choice but to give in and agree. “Okay.”

. . . . . . . .

During this graduation season, Xu Rong had five students on his hands.

Starting at ten o’clock in the morning, he provided guidance and pointers on the students’ works one by one, and continued until the afternoon.

Zong Baiyan watched silently from the side, but recalled all of the “incidents” in his mind—

The student who caused Xu Rong’s troubles was named Shen Che. His family had always been in the wholesale business regarding hardware parts. Unfortunately, his father mistakenly fell into a foreign debt scam, and years of hard work were completely ruined due to losses large and small.

As if the situation wasn’t bad enough, troubles kept popping up one after another.

Father Shen, who had nowhere to turn for help, had a car accident on the highway due to fatigue from long-term driving and died on the spot.

The life of the mother, who was sitting in the passenger seat, was hanging by a thread. In the end, she was rescued and became a paraplegic.

The burdens of life suddenly fell on Shen Che, and the driver of the large truck involved in the accident was simply unable to pay compensation.

Shen Che was a proud young man at heart. He refused to disclose his family’s situation to the outside world, but some pressures would get worse the longer they were hidden in the heart.

Because he couldn’t balance his life and his studies, he initially just wanted to deal with his graduation project and get a degree in order to find a job, but he didn’t expect to encounter the more serious Xu Rong.

Shen Che gritted his teeth and refused to say anything. Xu Rong didn’t know about his family’s misfortune, and severely criticized his plagiarism from the perspective of a professor.

As a result, the conversation was like the straw that broke the camel’s back—

Shen Che’s long-suppressed inner haze completely broke out. He wrote those slanderous words while drunk, and then jumped off the building under the influence of alcohol!

He just wanted to use his death and fabricated slander to get Xu Rong and others to pay a sum of money for his mother’s follow-up treatment and livelihood.

It could only be said that he was hateful and pitiful.

“Baiyan, are you bored of waiting?” Xu Rong came back with a cup of homemade coffee and handed it to his lover. “There’s another student who isn’t here.”

“After the concept of his work is finished, we can leave.”

Zong Baiyan took his lover’s hand and showed him the utmost patience. “No rush, you’re busy with your work.”

“En.”

As soon as he finished speaking, there was a hesitant knock on the door.

Xu Rong subconsciously turned around and said, “Please come in.”

Soon after, a thin figure walked inside. It was Shen Che, whom Xu Rong and Zong Baiyan were waiting for.

When Xu Rong saw this student he hadn’t seen for a long time, he first said with concern, “Shen Che? Why have you lost so much weight?”

Looking extremely tired, Shen Che gave a perfunctory bow. “Hello, Professor.”

“Come inside.”

Xu Rong sat back at the desk and opened Shen Che’s web file. “The backup notes for your previous three works are all blank. I notified you online, but you didn’t respond. What happened?”

“No inspiration.”

Shen Che shook his head and gave his summary, and his eyes unconsciously turned toward the extra Zong Baiyan.

Zong Baiyan’s eyes were focused on his face. After a long two seconds of confrontation, he placed his cellphone with seeming casualness on the bookshelf by the desk.

“I’ll go out first and let you guys talk.”

Xu Rong gave his lover a smiling look, and slightly restrained himself to regard the student Shen Che. “Shen Che, you didn’t come here empty-handed today, did you?”

“Don’t you know that if you continue like this, you won’t be able to graduate?”

Shen Che unconsciously grabbed his pants pocket and took out a USB flash drive. “Professor, the design draft and actual photos are all here.”

Xu Rong was surprised, but still took it gently. “Okay, sit down. I’ll take a look first.”

“If there’s no problem, we will have to back them up in the system later so as not to affect your graduation.”

“Okay.”

Shen Che’s Adam’s apple rolled slightly.

Soon, Xu Rong opened the USB flash drive on the computer.

He had just taken a cursory look at the design concept draft when he realized at once that something was wrong.

Xu Rong’s achievements in art far exceeded those of his peers, and he had seen many works. If a student wanted to play tricks, they could hardly ever escape his eyes.

“…….”

Xu Rong looked again at Shen Che next to him, who was hiding his nervousness. His usually gentle features became serious and frightening. “Shen Che, what is the matter with you?”

. . . . . . .

Zong Ran didn’t go away once he walked out of the office, but chose to stay outside the ajar door.

As expected, his lover’s rare voice of criticism and education sounded, but he did not choose to enter the room immediately and stop him—

Xu Rong had his own persistence and bottom line for his career and art, and Zong Baiyan would always support his method of handling this matter.

Within ten minutes, the office door suddenly opened.

The severely criticized Shen Che rushed out the door. All the shame, unwillingness, anger, and gloom transformed his face, and his lowered hands were clenched into fists, as if he had endured the peak of his emotions.

Zong Baiyan blocked his way with his quick reflexes. “Can you come out and talk?”

Their eyes met again.

Shen Che was instinctively resistant. He thought that the other party must have heard everything that happened inside, and he wanted to escape from this place quickly.

“Who the hell would talk to you! Get lost!”

“…….”

Zong Baiyan frowned slightly upon hearing this angry curse.

He looked at Shen Che’s back as he walked away quickly, and said bluntly, “Shen Che, I can advance you the cost of your mother’s treatment.”

The rapid pace came to a sudden stop.

Shen Che froze in place for several seconds, then turned around in disbelief. “Y-you what?”

Zong Baiyan walked up and concealed nothing. “I know your family is in trouble, and I’m also aware that you’re having a hard time now.”

“As Professor Xu’s husband, and with you as one of his most valued students, I can help you. But only on the premise that—”

He paused, with a look of scrutiny in his eyes, “You must calm down and talk to me, otherwise there’s no need for discussion.”

“…….”

Shen Che chose to remain silent, and after a moment, he answered with pride, “I don’t need anyone’s charity!”

Zong Baiyan asked, “Who said I’m giving you charity?”

“What?”

“Of course it’s conditional. I’m lending it to you. As long as it is used for your mother’s treatment, I can pay any amount.”

Zong Baiyan took out the business car he had prepared before going out and handed it over. His identity was clearly printed on it, proving his power—

General Manager of the Zong Family Group, Zong Baiyan.

This was one of the top three groups in the capital, covering all aspects of industry.

“When you truly graduate and find a job based on your own strength, and save money, you can pay me back slowly. There is no time limit.”

“…….”

Shen Che’s gaze wavered, and he accepted the business card tremblingly. The hostility and hatred accumulated in his heart over the past few days disappeared silently with the help of this sudden kindness.

Zong Boyan saw the look in his eyes ease, and breathed a secret sigh of relief.

To be honest, he hated the “previous” Shen Che. If not for the other’s malice before his death, his lover would not have ended up like that.

But now there was a chance to start over again.

Putting all this aside, Shen Che was just a student who was inexperienced in the world. Nobody could easily face repeated family disasters and misfortunes in life.

To put it more bluntly…..

Xu Rong and Shen Che were still student and teacher, and both of them were involved in this matter.

Even if Zong Baiyan rushed to stop them before they had an “argument,” he may not be able to stop Shen Che’s deadly malice from exploding over time.

In this case, it was better to completely solve the other party’s dilemma at the source and let him regain hope for life.

After all, as long as it was a matter of money, it was of no concern to Zong Baiyan. When he put aside his so-called “hatred” to help Shen Che, who was on the verge of collapse, wasn’t he saving his implicated husband?

Footsteps sounded.

Xu Rong walked out of the office with a complicated expression. It was obvious that he had heard the brief conversation between the two.

He had lost the absolute seriousness with which he criticized the plagiarism, and instead became a little worried. “What’s going on?”

Shen Che no longer struggled with how Zong Baiyan knew about his family situation. He, who had long been overwhelmed by reality, finally couldn’t stand up further before this sudden kindness.

“Professor Xu, I’m sorry.”

Shen Che cried bitterly on the spot, explaining his experiences these past few months.

“…..I really couldn’t take care of my studies, s-so I plagiarized when I shouldn’t have. I, I was just afraid that I wouldn’t be able to graduate.”

Then all the hard work he had put into his studies over the years would be in vain!

Shen Che’s pride vanished silently, and he knelt down and cried uncontrollably. “Mr. Zong, please help me. I, I will definitely find a way to pay you back in the future!”

After his parents’ car accident, Shen Che once tried to borrow money from his relatives, only to learn that his father had already borrowed money from all of their relatives in order to keep them afloat.

As for the internet loans, the interest had compounded, and it was about to become a bottomless pit!

Xu Rong and Zong Boyan exchanged glances and quickly helped Shen Che up.

“Shen Che, as a teacher, I didn’t notice your family situation and psychological pressure from the start. I apologize to you for this. I’m sorry.”

Xu Rong asked him to sit down again in the office and expressed his stance. “But you must understand that this is definitely not an excuse for you to plagiarize.”

Shen Che nodded silently.

In fact, he had hesitated repeatedly before doing it, but the blow had been too great and he was unable to design anything.

“Let’s do this. Your mother’s situation is urgent. We will help advance the expenses and I will apply for the school to postpone your graduation for one year.”

“Since there is no way to take care of both at once, let’s do it one by one. You cannot give up on life or waste your studies.”

“You are a very talented and intelligent child. I don’t want you to ruin your life because of a temporary predicament, do you understand?”

Zong Boyan poured a glass of warm water and handed it over.

He heard his lover’s gentle comfort and noticed the gratitude in Shen Che’s eyes, and finally breathed a silent sigh of relief.

The most important reason Xu Rong was so ill back then, apart from the unsightly negative comments, was his self-blame and guilt for Shen Che’s suicide.

Such negative emotions had devoured his soul, but he was better now—

Xu Rong accomplished what he wanted to do as a teacher, and Shen Che might also be able to redeem himself from his extreme negative emotions.

Shen Che eventually calmed down under Xu Rong’s comfort. Holding back tears, he bowed and sincerely thanked him, “Thank you, Professor. I, I will definitely remember your critiques and teachings.”

Xu Rong was concerned. “Where do you live? Do you want us to take you back?”

“No need. I, I’ll go right to the hospital.” Shen Che spoke truthfully.

Their family had already sold their house, and in order to save money after the car accident, he even gave up on the rental house he had originally planned to rent.

Zong Baiyan said bluntly, “Then you go back tonight and calculate how much it will take to maintain a normal life in the short term. I will send an assistant to you tomorrow.”

Shen Che was even more grateful, and choked up as he thanked them.

. . . . . . . 

After Shen Che left, Xu Rong breathed a sigh of relief. “I didn’t even know that such changes had happened to his family. It’s all thanks to you being here.”

“Yes, ah, it’s thanks to me being here.”

Zong Boyan picked up the cell phone on the bookcase, which had recorded everything that had happened since Shen Che entered the office. He was also prepared for the worst—

If the other party still insisted on slander, this video would become the first and most complete evidence.

Zong Baiyan didn’t mention this matter to his lover, but just moved closer and held his hand again. “Professor Xu, how are you going to thank me?”

Xu Rong raised his eyebrows. “How many delicious things should I cook tonight?”

Zong Baiyan took advantage of the fact that there was no one else in the office, and put his arms around Xu Rong’s waist, kissing him secretly. “Why don’t you ‘cook’ more delicious food in bed tonight?”

“…….”

Xu Rong could only laugh. “Be serious, this is an art academy. Don’t say extraneous things.”

Zong Baiyan’s answer was rather unserious. “Love is the greatest art.”

Xu Rong laughed, and suddenly remembered something. “Wait, what time is it?”

Zong Baiyan was shocked when he saw that it was exactly three o’clock.

The husbands looked at each other and walked quickly out of the office almost in tacit agreement—

After all this fuss, they had almost forgotten about their son again!

---

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Extra 1/15 <<Table of Contents >> Extra 3/15

T/N: Thank you to Ayo for the Kofi donation! All of the extras take place in Pei Yi’s original world, where his fathers have a second chance and he is able to meet Bo Yueming as a boy. Get ready for some sweetness!

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On the large cemetery hill, relatives and friends who had some to express their condolences came and went.

Zong Baiyan just stood in front of the tombstone, staring at its black and white surface with a pale face and empty eyes. No one knew what he was thinking.

“Ge, it’s getting dark, let’s go.”

Zong Keyan walked up and put the coat she had brought on her brother, her eyes still red from crying. “Ge, don’t be like this. If you continue on like this, Brother Rong will be worried.”

A few weeks ago, Xu Rong, Zong Baiyan’s lover of ten years, had committed suicide with a knife in the studio at home.

When the doctor arrived, the man’s blood was all over the floor. His chest and heart had been stabbed five or six times with a dull art knife, which was enough to show his desire to die.

In just one week, Zong Baiyan had tormented himself to the point of not eating or drinking, and his weight dropped rapidly. His whole body felt like an empty shell without a soul, as if there was only one breath holding him up.

“……He’ll be worried?”

Zong Baiyan muttered this vaguely, but was unable to cry a single tear. “Even in death, he doesn’t want me, but he’ll still worry about me?”

“Ge, don’t do this.”

Zong Keyan stepped forward to help him, but was gently pushed away. “You go first. I want to talk to him again. I don’t want to go anywhere, I just want to stay here.”

Zong Keyan was anxious. “That won’t work. With you like this…..”

“Give me a little time” Zong Baiyan finally shifted his gaze from the tombstone and looked at his older sister. “Okay?”

“…….”

Faced with her brother’s almost desperate request, Zong Keyan had no choice but to settle for the next best thing. “Then I’ll ask Xiao Chen to wait for you below. You have another hour at most, then the secretary will drive you home.”

Zong Baiyan lowered his eyes and remembered something. “Have you found Xiao Yi?”

The “Xiao Yi” he spoke of was the child he and Xu Rong had adopted from the orphanage.

A week ago, because he witnessed and failed to intercept the other party’s suicide in time, he was so frightened that he ran out of the house when the adults weren’t paying attention, and never came back.

“Before he died, Rong-ge treasured Xiao Yi the most.” Zong Baiyan was anxious, but also self-deprecating. “He won’t worry about me now, but he will definitely worry about Xiao Yi.”

Zong Keyan assured, “Ge, the police are already looking for him. I’ll make sure people keep an eye on the news.”

Zong Baiyan’s reply was still soft and weak.

It wasn’t until after Zong Keyan turned back three times and then left the cemetery that Zong Baiyan’s legs suddenly weakened, and the 1.8-meter-tall man fell down.

His knees and wrists scraped against the concrete, but he seemed to feel no pain at all. He crawled toward the cold tombstone and leaned against it without saying a word.

One second, two seconds, three seconds—

Zong Baiyan suddenly shed a tear. He cried silently, but hysterically tore apart.

As an art professor, Xu Rong had pointed out a student’s plagiarism a year ago and was framed for his death by biased parties.

Even though Zong Baiyan immediately used his connections to clarify things, the malice brought about by cyberbullying still destroyed his gentle lover.

Xu Rong suffered from severe depression. Day after day, as they accompanied each other and lived together, the other’s emotions and suspicions gradually and uncontrollably escalated.

Zong Baiyan knew that his lover was ill, so after every unwarranted dispute, he always tried his best to provide guidance, to accompany him and apologize to him.

But people’s emotions were not rubber bands that could be stretched indefinitely. Sooner or later, they would break—

Zong Baiyan still remembered the last time the two saw each other.

That day, in order to catch up on the work he had fallen behind on, he worked all night to complete a merger and acquisition plan with his employees. Due to his excessive fatigue, he had to ask a friend to help drive him back.

Unexpectedly, this scene fell into Xu Rong’s eyes and became the evidence that he had stayed away from home all night and even cheated on him.

Zong Baiyan had originally believed that no one could shake the love between the two, but then he heard Xu Rong’s baseless suspicions that day.

He was already suffering a headache from staying up all night, and a fuse was finally lit deep in his heart.

The two began the most intense fight in their history. In a fit of anger, Zong Baiyan impulsively replied—

“Yes! It’s just what you think! If you feel you can’t live with me anymore, then I’ll just leave!”

Then, he left Xu Rong and slammed the door.

In fact, Zong Baiyan already regretted it within five minutes of leaving the house, but his body and spirit were completely exhausted. He still didn’t look back.

He wanted to find a place to take a short rest and wait until he calmed down a little before going home to solve this problem.

But Zong Baiyan didn’t expect that although he had been cruel, Xu Rong would be even crueler than him.

Throughout this week, whenever Zong Baiyan closed his eyes, he would see Xu Rong covered in blood.

The other party stood a few steps away from him and refused to let him get close. Instead, he bled everywhere and cried—

“Why did you say you loved me?”

“Why did you lie to me!”

“Why don’t you want me?”

Every time Zong Baiyan thought about it, that Xu Rong was full of disappointment in their love and even ended his life in despair, Zong Baiyan wanted to pay for it with his own life.

“…….”

Zong Baiyan took the utility knife out of his pocket. There were still some blood stains on it that were difficult to clean off. It was the same knife that Xu Rong had used before he died.

It was already dark. The lights around the cemetery had gone out, shrouding Zong Baiyan in loneliness. 

He kissed the black and white photo on the tombstone and hugged it tightly. “Rong-ge, please wait for me. When I find Xiao Yi and get him settled, I’ll come and find you.”

When the time came, he would never hurt him again.

Zong Baiyan hugged the tombstone and closed his eyes, imagining that his lover was still warm in his arms. In the end, he couldn’t resist the fatigue of the past few days, and fell asleep.

. . . . . . .

Everything in the dream was clear but chaotic.

There was Zong Baiyan’s first encounter with Xu Rong when he was twenty years old, his persistent pursuit of Xu Rong, his excitement when Xu Rong agreed to date him, and the small disputes they had when the relationship was new.

From being young and ignorant, to growing up in the name of love.

From being sweethearts to falling in love, from getting married to adopting a child. Their happiness never stopped, but was unexpectedly broken.

At the end of the dream, his lover was still covered in blood, moving away from him and disappearing little by little.

Zong Baiyan felt overwhelmed by the grief covering his entire being, and found it difficult to breathe. He finally broke through the invisible restraints on his feet and rushed to grab those warm hands.

“I’ve got you! Please, don’t go!”

“Rong-ge!”

“— Don’t go!”

Zong Baiyan suddenly awoke and sat up in bed. His head was still dizzy, but his eyes had already begun to take in everything around him.

The “warmth” clenched in his hand came from the quilt, dyed dark blue. The print and dyeing pattern on it was designed by Xu Rong himself.

This used to be the other party’s favorite set of bedding, but a year ago, they threw them away completely due to the holes they tore in it.

Why was it still here?

Zong Baiyan looked at the layout of the master bedroom. Everything was familiar, yet different.

It was familiar because these were the decorations they had arranged before, but it was different in that this was not recent.

The scent of breakfast filled the air.

Zong Baiyan rushed out of bed in disbelief, opened the door, and pointed his gaze in the direction of the kitchen—

The sunlight outside the house shone through the window.

Xu Rong wore simple white pajamas and was concentrating on stirring the soup that had just been taken off the stove. Even though it was just a side profile, there was still a gentle smile that others could not touch.

“…….”

Zong Baiyan didn’t realize that his breath was shaking. When he was able to react again, he rushed into the kitchen faster than he ever had in his life.

Because he was running too fast, he also hit the vertical wheeled trolley, and the bags of food on it scattered onto the ground.

When Xu Rong heard the noise and turned around, he was embraced tightly by Zong Baiyan, so hard that it seemed as if his bones and blood would melt before he gave up.

“Rong-ge.”

The loved one he thought he would never have again was warm and alive.

The emotions that had not been completely vented in the past few days completely broke out at this moment. Zong Baiyan held his lost lover and cried heartbreakingly without composure.

Xu Rong was frightened by his sudden collapse. With difficulty, he took out a restrained hand and patted the back of his lover’s head to comfort him. “What is this? W-Why are you crying like this?”

After knowing each other for nearly ten years, Zong Baiyan had rarely shed tears, and Xu Rong’s deepest impressions of it had only happened twice—

One time was when they had a fight when they first started dating, and the other party deliberately pretended to be a bullied puppy to coax him into relenting and reconciling; the other time was after he successfully proposed to him, and his lover hugged him and choked up when he spoke a few words.

But there had never been a time when his lover broke down crying like this.

Seeing that his coaxing didn’t work, Xu Rong had no choice but to change his approach and say with red ears, “Husband, what happened? You’re hugging me so tightly that I can’t breathe. It’s uncomfortable.”

When Zong Baiyan heard this, he immediately regained some clarity after crying. He relaxed his embrace and touched Xu Rong with trembling fingertips from his eyebrows to the tip of his nose, and then to his lips.

Xu Rong used his peripheral vision to confirm that their child hadn’t come into the room, and then kissed Zong Baiyan’s fingertips with gentle restraint.

“What’s wrong? Crying like a child early in the morning, aren’t you afraid that Xiao Yi will come out later and laugh at you?”

Zong Baiyan hugged the person in front of him again, with the grievance and fear of regaining something once lost. “I had a nightmare. I dreamed that you didn’t want me anymore.”

“Nonsense.”

Xu Rong patted his head, dumbfounded. “A nightmare frightened you to this extent?”

Zong Baiyan took two deep breaths and said, “Rong-ge.”

Xu Rong continued to comfort him, “I’m here. Dreams and reality are opposites. Don’t be afraid, I’m not going anywhere.”

“En.”

“I’ll accompany you back to the bedroom to wash up first. If Xiao Yi sees you like this later, your image as a father will be gone.”

“En.”

Xu Rong withdrew from the hug and took the initiative to hold Zong Baiyan’s hand. He felt as if he was seeing his lover in his twenties again, a little childish, and making him worry on occasion.

. . . . . . .

Zong Baiyan put himself together as soon as possible, pulled Xu Rong back onto the bed in the master bedroom, and hugged him again face to face.

He was even clingier than before.

Xu Rong was helpless but indulgent, and asked, “Are you feeling better now?”

Zong Baiyan silently came to terms with everything in front of him, feeling both scared and happy.

He was afraid that it was just another dream, but even more grateful that if it was true, he still had a chance to undo everything that hadn’t happened yet.

“Rong-ge.”

“En?”

“I’m not dreaming, am I?”

“How long have you been awake for? Can you still be dreaming?” Xu Rong smiled at him.

Zong Baiyan drew closer and continued his previous good habits. “Then, you still haven’t given me a good morning kiss today.”

Xu Rong kissed his lips. “Good morning. Like this?”

Zong Baiyan shook his head, acting coquettish in a way that only the other party could understand. “I’m still a little scared.”

Xu Rong knew that his lover was doing this on purpose, but he still kissed him again. “What about this? Better?”

Zong Baiyan still had a craving. “I still want more.”

Xu Rong didn’t give it. “You can’t have three.”

Zong Raiyan heard Xu Rong’s relaxed tone, and his heart, which had been hanging in his throat, finally fell back to where it was.

He held his lover’s hand and exhorted word by word, “Rong-ge, you have to remember that I love you very much. I only love you. Truly.”

“I know, I know you love me.”

Xu Rong didn’t deliberately ask about the “dream” that had frightened his lover, but just responded to him again and again.

“Don’t get sick.” Zong Baiyan leaned in for a kiss, and the feeling of sourness returned. “Don’t leave me.”

“I won’t leave you…..wu!”

Xu Rong’s response was blocked in his mouth, and he passively welcomed Zong Baiyan’s gentle, cherishing kiss.

The tip of that tongue probed past his lips and teeth with ease, stirring up warmth and moisture from shallow to deep, and became extremely passionate.

Xu Rong was kissed until his consciousness was blurred. Half pushing and half falling on the bed, he used his remaining sanity to resist. “D-don’t, mm…..”

“Why not?”

“Xiao Yi.” Xu Rong pushed himself up and reminded him with a warm face, “Don’t you still have to send Xiao Yi to class? Stop making trouble.”

“…….”

Zong Baiyan was taken aback, and belatedly came to a realization.

Xu Rong pushed his clingy partner away and re-checked the alarm clock on the bedside table. It was already 8:30 in the morning, and there was only half an hour before class.

“Hurry up, that kitten must have fallen asleep again.”

Xu Rong quickly urged his lover to get up, and the two of them walked out of the bedroom. They glimpsed Pei Yi, who was unable to escape in time, and thus looked like a sneaky cat.

The two sides looked at each other.

Pei Yi’s face instantly flushed, and he gave himself away. “Father Yan, Father Rong, I, I didn’t see anything!”

He had woken up early and found that there was no one in the kitchen or dining room, so he thought to go to the master bedroom and knock on the door, but never expected to see through a crack in the door such a colorful and heart-racing scene!

Help!

He didn’t want to be caught and spanked!

---

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Chapter One Hundred Six <<Table of Contents >> Extra 2/15

That night, Liu Nanyuan specially brought Cheng Suyue to her room. She had so many things to ask about her Er-ge, regarding his medical skills and the prince. The two girls closed the door and began to chat secretly late at night.

Gao Lin heard the news and felt so relieved that he even wanted to stand outside the dimly-lit window and watch affectionately with clasped hands — but it turned out that he couldn’t, because before he could even take two steps, a big green harrier circled down from the sky. It happened to descend in front of him, and its beady red eyes rolled, ghastly and unlucky.

A bamboo tube was tied to its leg, and Gao Lin took out the letter, which was sealed with wax. He hurriedly took it to Liang Shu and asked, “What should be done, Your Highness?”

“In five days, we will hand over the money and they will hand over the person.”

“But how can it be delivered?” Gao Lin was puzzled. “If that batch of money is pulled by carts, it will wind its way for more than ten li.”

“They don’t specify anything in the letter, and only say that they are getting things ready first,” Liang Shu said. “In the early morning of the fifth day, there will be news sent by green harrier.”

“Scamming people.” Gao Lin cursed. “And buying time. They fear that if we know the location in advance, we’ll be prepared.”

“Just because they don’t say it doesn’t mean we can’t guess,” Liang Shu said. “If such a large amount of gold and silver were exchanged on the ground, our troops could wrest it from them at any time, so the final deal will not be so simple.”

“If the ground doesn’t work, then there is only the air and the underground,” Gao Lin surmised, “Could they have tamed thousands of green harriers to prepare to fly the treasure away?”

“It is theoretically possible, but highly unlikely.” Liang Shu patted him on the shoulder and said, “You had best go underground and think about it further.”

Gao Lin couldn’t react for a moment. Underground? Should he dig a hole?

The green harrier took to the sky with the reply and soon disappeared into the dark night. When Liang Shu returned to his residence, the Sleeping Immortal had naturally fallen asleep with half of the quilt hanging down on the step stool. One leg was crossed over the other, and there was also a lighting bead in his hand that had been pulled from a lampshade at some point.

“Your Highness.” A-Ning stood up sleepily.

“Go back and rest,” Liang Shu said. “I will accompany him.”

“The young master asked to be woken up early tomorrow morning.” A-Ning added, “He said he wanted to accompany the Third Young Lady to go hiking.”

“Okay.” Liang Shu shook off his outer robe. “I’ll wake him up.”

The servants moved softly and quietly to bring water for bathing. The sound of rumbling water turned into a waterfall in Second Young Master Liu’s dreams, and the mist was uncomfortably wet on his neck and cheeks. He raised his hand to wipe it away, but his wrist was grabbed.

Liang Shu said: “Don’t move, let me kiss you for a while.”

Liu Xian’an opened his eyes drowsily and looked at him for a moment, then closed them again.

This dull and sleepy reaction was still very cute in Liang Shu’s eyes. He ticked the straight bridge of his nose with the back of his finger, becoming more and more reluctant to go to sleep. He had always been a person who didn’t need much rest. When facing his sweetheart, he was even more energetic, and felt that even if he did nothing but look at him all night, that was enough. Thinking of this, he leaned over to nuzzle him. Just as their noses touched, there was a dull pain in his heart again.

His arms suddenly lost strength, and he groaned. He was unprepared, and his whole body collapsed down.

Second Young Master Liu was smashed back alive from the waterfall, and coughed in a daze for a long moment. Liang Shu endured the discomfort and hugged him back into his arms: “It’s okay, go to sleep.”

Liu Xian’an was not so easy to fool. He just closed his eyes and touched randomly, then sat up in an instant and asked, “Why are you covered in cold sweat?”

Liang Shu had no choice but to confess: “The old injury flared up. It will pass after some rest.”

Liu Xian’an pulled his wrist over and checked his pulse, which was more rapid than usual. There was no time to put on clothes and shoes, so he walked on the wooden bamboo floor and rushed all the way to the cabinet to take out the acupuncture kit and stood at the table to prepare it carefully. Liang Shu reclined at the head of the bed with his head pillowed on one arm. An old injury was an old injury, and didn’t stop his lustful mind at all. His eyes unconsciously fell on his sweetheart’s bare snow-white feet, which could trod on the floor or trod on his heart.

Liu Xian’an sat back on the bed and urgently touched his forehead with the back of his hand: “Your face is so red. Does it hurt a lot?”

“The pain isn’t severe,” Liang Shu said. “It’s a bit uncomfortable in other places.”

Liu Xian’an was grabbed by his hand and pressed down in a daze. Liang Shu was very thick-skinned in this regard. He felt that he was in love, and a beauty wearing soft, loose clothing was dangled in front of him, his sweet scent assailing his nose. It would be abnormal to have no reaction, so he simply took the person into his arms, held his ankle, and lowered his head to kiss him.

Liu Xian’an didn’t understand his spontaneous interest at all, and couldn’t adapt. A needle pricked His Royal Highness Xiao Wang, who gasped for air. Liu Xian’an used the opportunity to take his foot back and said, “Lie down well!”

Liang Shu gave a pained laugh and lay on his back: “I won’t tease you anymore, come here.”

Liu Xian’an wiped a bit of cold sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, ignoring the other party’s teasing. His heart was full of worry. He couldn’t diagnose this old injury by himself, and his elder brother also said that he just needed more rest, but there was currently no time to rest and he could only drag himself through day after day. 

He calculated the days between the recurrences of the old injury and said with a frown: “This won’t do, the prince must take a good rest for a while.”

“I can rest, but I must at least bring Ku You and A-Chang back first.” Liang Shu reached out his hand and motioned for the other person to come closer into his arms. “Although I seem to get up early and stay up later, if I have free time in the camp during the day, I will also take a nap. It’s not like you think, leaving early and coming back late, busy all day long.”

“There is always an excuse every time.”

“How is this an excuse?” Liang Shu sat up with a smile, coaxing, “Okay, sweetheart, don’t be angry. I won’t go anywhere tomorrow. I’ll just stay in the room and sleep. That’s good, right?”

“Sleep until noon.”

“Okay, I’ll sleep until noon.”

Liu Xian’an then packed his things up and got back into bed, laying on the other’s chest to listen to his heartbeat. After such tossing, he was no longer sleepy. He thought about how to take care of this person in the future, and thought that for a full night, he would leave all his friends in the Three Thousand Worlds beside the waterfall and ignore them — If His Royal Highness Xiao Wang knew about his victory over the white-bearded old men, he would probably be pretty much healed on the spot.

He then fell back to sleep tiredly until early morning.

He had made a promise to his sister to “climb a mountain with his legs,” but it was clear that he wouldn’t climb it today. A-Ning apologized: “Third Young Lady, my young master is still sleeping. The prince said he would wake him up, but…..I don’t dare to go in.”

“N-No need. Don’t disturb him, just let him sleep well!” After a whole night of becoming accustomed to it, Liu Nanyuan considered her brother to have already ascended a northern mountain. She didn’t want to climb mountains anymore. What climbing mountains? It was important to write letters.

She took Cheng Suyue to the study and decided to write a letter home about everything her Er-ge had done.  Liang Shu’s study naturally couldn’t be used, so she could only use a smaller study. The paper inside was torn, the ink was dry, and the wolf hair brushes seemed to explode like fireworks. The books looked as if they had been dug out of a mud pit. Cheng Suyue said: “Ku You really doesn’t like reading books either.”

“I’ve heard a lot about Commander Ku along the way.” Liu Nanyuan asked, “What kind of person is he?”

“Him, ah.” Cheng Suyue thought for a moment and then described him in as much detail as possible. “He is a man with an evil appearance, unsmiling, with a tall, strong figure. He doesn’t like reading, and goes to shoot arrows under the scorching sun when he has nothing to do. He was born with superhuman abilities and has an amazing appetite. He was once besieged in the desert for three days and was able to kill enemies while only drinking water. Generally speaking, he is like the prince in many aspects, but his temper is more honest.”

“Wa!” Liu Nanyuan said.

“Wa what?”

“Nothing, nothing.”

. . . . . . .

Having been noticed by two beautiful girls, Commander Ku sneezed in the enemy camp.

There were footsteps outside the room, and a moment later, the door was pushed open.

Ku You asked: “ Esteemed Young Master Feng?”

“I heard that you want to do business with me.” Feng Xiaojin looked at him and said, “Speak.”

Ku You said calmly: “I would like to ask Young Master Feng to help us eradicate the Baifu Sect.”

Feng Xiaojin scoffed: “A foolish dream.”

“Young Master Feng can set his own conditions,” Ku You said. “We may not necessarily need to negotiate.”

“I have no cares in this world. When the time comes, I will naturally leave,” Feng Xiaojin said. “With nothing to ask for and no conditions to meet, I fear Commander Ku will be disappointed.”

“What about the Wumeng family brother and sister?”

“They will also leave with me, so there is no need to trouble Commander Ku.”

“What if they can’t leave?”

“What do you mean by ‘can’t leave?’”

“The Baifu Holy Maiden has always relied on her beautiful appearance to seduce believers,” Ku You said. “Beauty is her weapon, but it is also a weapon that drags her down into an endless quagmire. Young Master Feng and I both know that in Mu Zhe’s eyes, she is only the most insignificant tool. And since she is a tool, she can be discarded at any time and sacrificed at will.”

Feng Xiaojin’s hands shook slightly: “That Nanyang man.”

. . . . . .

Wumeng Yunle sat in front of the mirror, removing the gauze from her fingers layer by layer. Fresh red nail polish covered her bluish nails, gleaming with a bright and beautiful luster in the sun. She admired herself for a while and then said: “He still isn’t healed yet?”

“No,” a maid replied.

“It doesn’t matter if he’s not.” Wumeng Yunle said happily, “I can see his face anyway.”

“Miss,” the maid warned, “If your words reach the ears of the leader, I fear you will be punished again.”

“But I just like to look at him,” Wumeng Yunle said stubbornly. “He is the most handsome man I have ever seen. He is better-looking than my uncle and my brother, like a piece of ice on a snow-capped mountain. It’s just a pity that he doesn’t smile.”

The maids paid no attention to her first awakening of love, but noted down every word and prepared to relay them to the leader.

They had never regarded this beautiful canary as their master. No matter how respectful their attitudes were on the surface, they only had contempt and ridicule in their hearts.

---

Chapter One Hundred Eight << Table of Contents >> Chapter One Hundred Ten

Some people looked tall and strong, but were actually delicate.

Lin Yuan was kicked by Lu Qi and sent to the hospital. Lu Qi returned to the two people’s residence and waited all night, but didn’t receive a call from the police station or the other party’s lawyer.

He didn’t sleep well that night, and didn’t get up until after noon. When he went down the stairs in a daze, he paused and looked down at the furnishings in the living room.

When he first moved here, it had looked like a finely decorated model house, every furnishing luxurious but lifeless. Now, the living room had changed. The midday sun shone through the floor-to-ceiling windows and fell on the velvet pillows on the sofa. On the marcel stone-carved coffee table was a set of cartoon tea sets and a tissue box with a dog drawn lying on its stomach. On the balcony window next to the small garden was a tablet he used for drawing.

This house belonged to Lin Yuan. When he saw Lin Yuan’s residence, Lu Qi had known that he was not only from a wealthy family, and that having such a single family villa in a prime downtown location in Shanghai, where land was so valuable, showed his financial resources.

Lu Qi rubbed his disheveled hair and thought it would be great if he was really greedy for money. That way, even if Lin Yuan started a football team outside, he could referee for them with a smile.

But he couldn’t smile.

He had always been slow to react. His friends said he was like a little snail, and only moved his antennae after being poked with a short stick.

This was indeed the case. He could still smile when he had the showdown with Lin Yuan the day before, but now he just felt tired.

He hugged his knees and sat on the stairs in a daze for a while. Then he slowly went downstairs, took the packing box he had brought with him from the storage room, and began to pack his things.

He and Lin Yuan lived in two bedrooms with a shared cloakroom. Compared to Lin Yuan, who regularly bought four-digit suits, Lu Qi’s clothes were all soft, comfortable, brightly-colored casual clothes. They were clearly distinguishable when hung together, just like their three views.

He saw the painting placed in the cloakroom – he had painted it himself and given it as a gift to Lin Yuan.

Tearing off the waterproof paper, a huge steampunk city appeared before him.

The painting’s spray paint effect was pretty good. Under a gray-black sky, sky-high buildings were shrouded in dazzling neon lights. A suspended rail car dragged a rainbow of light through a narrow gap, and a holographic image projected a mechanical phoenix, its tail feathers falling into the stream of light.

Stagnant water on the street reflected the rainbow of colors, and under the excessive light pollution were all kinds of people, including a skinny vendor dragging an old mechanical leg, a mercenary with barrel cannons installed on his arms, a beautiful girl with data streams reflected in her eyes…..

There were only two normal human men walking backwards holding hands. In the arms of the man in the suit was a bouquet of brilliant sunflowers, which was the only clean, bright color in the entire painting.

Lu Qi possessed this kind of character. He used painting as a medium to express the secret confessions he couldn’t say.

But now, that bright color had become particularly blinding.

Just as he was pondering what to do with this painting, the sound of the doorbell rang faintly.

Lu Qi, wearing cinnamon roll dog slippers, went downstairs to open the door.

The morning wind brought with it the faint scent of perfume. There was a woman standing outside the door, and a flamboyant convertible supercar parked not far behind. She wore sunglasses that covered half her face, but it was not difficult to see that she had a beautiful appearance and a good figure. It was only that her gaze was too uncivil, as sharp as a knife. When she crossed her arms and looked Lu Qi up and down, there was a sense of superiority on her features. 

Exactly the same as Lin Yuan.

Lu Qi felt uncomfortable, but he had always had a good temperament, so he lowered his head and asked in a well-behaved manner: “Sister, are you looking for Lin Yuan?”

The woman was clearly taken aback.

Lin Xiaoshuang had come here to cause trouble, but her temper vanished once he called her “sister.” She chuckled resentfully. “Your mouth is rather sweet. It seems that this is how you coax Lin Yuan? I know he’s in the hospital now and I won’t find him here. I’m here to find you.”

She took off her sunglasses and raised her chin slightly: “Let’s talk.”

Lu Qi looked at her beautiful face that was somewhat similar to Lin Yuan’s and had a guess in his mind, but still asked: “Who are you?”

Lin Xiaoshuang nodded her head: “I’m his paternal aunt.”

“Oh.” Lu Qi turned sideways and let the woman in. While she was looking around the room, he bent down and got her slippers.

Seeing this, Lin Xiaoshuang scoffed, “You don’t have to flatter me. No matter what, it is impossible for our Lin family to agree to you being together.”

Lu Qi looked at her strangely, then at the high heels on her feet. 

“I’m not flattering you,” he said, baffled. “It’s just that you’ll be very tired wearing these shoes, and it will be easier to change into slippers.”

Lin Xiaoshuang: ……

This was really damn sincere!

The previous night, she watched the boss drama “Chronicles of the Evil Mother-in-Law” and only remembered a few lines. Now, looking into these clear eyes, she nearly forgot all her words.

Such a cute boy, with eyes so big and bright, why did he become blind at such a young age and fall in love with that evil creature Lin Yuan?

But the work assigned by her older brother still had to be done. Lin Xiaoshuang suppressed her smile and walked toward the sofa with a swaying figure.

Lu Qi got her a glass of warm water.

Across the curl of steam, Lin Xiaoshuang said quietly: “You look rather clean. Different from what we thought. We thought Lin Yuan had some shady thing from outside.”

Lu Qi: ……

He wasn’t sure why, but he felt that this sister’s style was strange, as if she was acting in some TV series with acting skills that weren’t very good.

But what she said really made him feel indignant. He was a little angry, and retorted with restraint: “Birds of a feather flock together. It turns out that in your eyes, Lin Yuan is only qualified to associate with people like that. Do you also admit that Lin Yuan is a shady thing?”

Lin Xiaoshuang was stifled, and sneered after a moment, “Do you think the two of you are dating? You live in his house, eat his food, use his things…..”

She raised her chin proudly: “How much does he pay you to sleep with him?”

Lu Qi gave her a strange look. He stretched out two fingers and shook them.

“Twenty thousand?” Lin Xiaoshuang became even prouder. She picked up the water glass and took a sip, glancing at Lu Qi across from her with victorious confidence. “You are nothing more than that…..”

“Two thousand five per month,” Lu Qi said. “I pay it to him…..”

Before he could finish talking about the rent, Lin Xiaoshuang opposite him began to cough violently. He took a tissue from the table and handed it over with both hands. After a while, he said, “I buy the groceries and replenish most of the daily necessities. I don’t use his things.”

After speaking, he patted the tissue box lying on the table and added in a low voice: “Mine.”

Lin Xiaoshuang: ……

The tissue in her hands was hot.

This little beast Lin Yuan was so embarrassing.

The little beast was sent to the hospital last night with a broken rib. There was no need for hospitalization, but her sister-in-law insisted on keeping her baby boy in the hospital for observation. Her older brother asked Lin Yuan how he was injured, but Lin Yuan didn’t say anything and told him to leave it alone.

But how could her older brother not care? The shoe mark on Lin Yuan’s waist was still clearly visible. This kick was not on the little beast’s waist, but on her older brother’s own face!

Her older brother found this kid in no time and sent her over to solve the problem.

Lin Xiaoshuang pinched her brow, took a check out of her bag, and pushed the thin piece of paper to the center of the coffee table with two fingers as white as green onion roots. “Here’s two million. Take the money and get out.”

Lu Qi: ……

He opened his mouth slightly, his expression a little surprised, and stared at Lin Xiaoshuang as if he was watching a comic sketch.

Lu Qi really hadn’t expected this sort of plot to happen to him. For a moment, he just thought it was absurd, so absurd that it produced some comedic effects. He forgot to be angry and almost laughed out loud.

With a slight cough, Lu Qi pushed the check back. “I won’t take this money.”

Lin Xiaoshuang thought she was going to hear Lu Qi’s affectionate confession to her nephew, and was about to scoff……

Lu Qi: “What if you sue me for blackmail later?”

Lin Xiaoshuang: …….

It didn’t matter, she still had her trump card.

She put the check away and said slowly: “Lin Yuan used to have many lovers, but he always rented a house outside. You are indeed special, his first ‘beauty hidden in a golden house.’ But do you know why he treats you differently? It’s not because he particularly likes you, but because you look like……”

“Like Mu Nanqiao.” Lu Qi had learned to answer quickly, blinking his eyes like a curious baby. “Do we really look alike?”

Lin Xiaoshuang: ……

Nothing that happened after entering this house had followed the script.

With a wave of her hand, she simply stopped acting. She changed her cool and aloof persona, kicked off her high heels, and reclined comfortably back on the sofa as if her bones had been removed.

She shrugged and said frankly: “I don’t remember what Mu Nanqiao looks like, but you probably have similar temperaments? I heard from Lin Yuan’s friends that Mu Nanqiao was a pitiful little boy. Although he was the child of the Mu family in Shanghai, he was not well-received. His father had a car accident and was recuperating abroad. His mother was not in good health and had to take care of his father, so she left the child in Shanghai with his grandfather to study.”

“When he was a child, those punks formed a gang and often bullied him.” Lin Xiaoshuang said lightly: “Lin Yuan helped him out several times, so he had a good relationship with Lin Yuan.”

Lu Qi thought there was something strange about this matter.

Before today, he might not have doubted this, but now he couldn’t help but think: Would Lin Yuan be so kind when he was a boy? From his perspective, it would be amazing if he didn’t join the gang doing the bullying.

It was possible that…..

At that point, Lin Yuan was still taking shape.

“I don’t know anything else.” Lin Xiaoshuang took a slender cigarette out of her bag, lit it, and blew out a puff of smoke. “Handsome boy, I think you’re serious about dating Lin Yuan. Listen to Sister’s advice, he may be worthy of sleeping with, but he is not worthy of serious love.”

Lu Qi blinked. Then he smiled for the first time since Lin Xiaoshuang entered the door, and a shallow pear dimple appeared on his left cheek.

“Thank you. I broke up with him, and I’m packing my things to move out.”

“Then it’s fine.” Lin Xiaoshuang shrugged and stretched out her hand. “I wish for your next boyfriend to be loving, lively, and fierce top.” 

Lu Qi politely held her fingertips, shocked speechless by her straightforward blessing. He whispered with the tips of his ears slightly red: “Thank you…..then, don’t drive in high heels.”

Lin Xiaoshuang was stunned for a moment, then laughed: “I have spare shoes in the car, and changed into high heels before coming out. This makes me look more impressive.”

After sending Lin Xiaoshuang away, Lu Qi stood at the entrance and grabbed his soft hair. He leaned close to the reflective surface of the decorative panel and inspected his face carefully.

Wet hair from washing his face still hung in strands over his forehead. Although he could not be said to have heroic features, at any rate, they could be said to be smooth and bright, handsome and gentle.

Lu Qi rubbed his face like a sea otter.

So how could this sister immediately tell that he was a bottom, ah?

Wasn’t it a little bit possible that he could be a top next?

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Chapter Two << Table of Contents >> Chapter Four